ABSTRACT

We owe the colour of our skin, hair, and eyes to the pigment produced in melanocytes, specialized cells that synthesize and store melanin. Melanocytes in the skin, hair, and eyes, as well as retinal pigmented epithelial cells, contain melanosomes, unique organelles that provide the optimal environment for melanin synthesis and storage. Melanosomal transporters and ion channels localized to the delimiting membrane control the movement of ions and other melanogenic substrates between the cytosol and melanosomal lumen. Our goal is to identify novel intracellular ion channels and transporters regulating pigmentation. Most transmembrane proteins known so far are localized to the melanosomal membrane. We will therefore test which of the candidates identified are localized to melanosomes, using co-localization studies with tyrosinase-related protein 1 (TYRP1) immunostained with the monoclonal TA-99 antibody, an established melanosomal marker.