Melanin from epidermal human melanocytes: Study by pyrolytic GC/MS |
| |
Authors: | Krystyna St?pień Anna Dzier??ga-L?cznar Slawomir Kurkiewicz Irena Tam |
| |
Institution: | (1) ISREC (Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research), National Center of Competence in Research (NCCR)Molecular Oncology, Chemin des Boveresses 155, 1066 Epalinges, Switzerland;(2) The Ronald O. Perelman Department of Dermatology & The Department of Cell Biology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, 10016, USA;(3) 8255 Sandy Point Road, Bryan, Texas 77807, USA |
| |
Abstract: | Pigmentation of human skin is determined by the presence of melanin, the polymeric pigment that is produced in melanocytes
and transferred to adjacent keratinocytes. Epidermal melanocytes produce two distinct types of melanin pigments: eumelanin,
composed mainly of indole-type monomers, and pheomelanin that contains benzothiazine-type backbone. Eumelanin protects skin
against UV-induced damages, whereas pheomelanin is believed to act as a potent UV photosensitizer and promote carcinogenesis.
In this study, pyrolysis in combination with gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) was applied for structural
studies of the epidermal pigment isolated from the cultured human melanocytes. The analysis was preceded by investigations
of DOPA-originated synthetic eumelanin and pheomelanin standards. This allowed determination of pyrolytic markers for both
types of melanin pigments. To obtain additional information on the natural pigment structure, the samples were thermally degraded
in the presence of tetramethylammonium hydroxide as the derivatizing agent. It was shown that the analyzed pigment from normal
human epidermal melanocytes derived from moderately pigmented skin is of eumelanin type with little incorporation of a pheomelanin
component. The results indicate that Py-GC/MS is a rapid and efficient technique for the differentiation of epidermal melanin
types and may be an alternative to commonly used methods based on chemical degradation. |
| |
Keywords: | |
本文献已被 ScienceDirect SpringerLink 等数据库收录! |
|