TY - JOUR
T1 - P-locus is a target for the melanogenic effects of MC-1R signaling
T2 - A possible control point for facultative pigmentation
AU - Ancans, Janis
AU - Flanagan, Niamh
AU - Hoogduijn, Martin J.
AU - Thody, Anthony J.
PY - 2003/6
Y1 - 2003/6
N2 - Melanocortin receptor type 1 (MC-1R) is an important control point for ultraviolet ray (UVR) - induced tanning response in the skin. In this study, we show that p-locus is a downstream target for MC-1R signaling. The expression of p-locus was up-regulated by α-MSH as well as db-cAMP, a synthetic analogue of cAMP that mimics activation of MC-1R. Furthermore, p-locus transcript abundance was significantly increased in epidermal melanocytes of white skin with facultative (UVR-induced) pigmentation. Because p-locus product is essential for pigmentation and also has been shown to be highly polymorphic in human population, we propose that the pigmentary response to the melanocortin peptides/UVR would be affected not only by MC-1R mutations but also by the functionality of p-locus product. These factors together could account for the many different levels of tanning ability seen in the white population.
AB - Melanocortin receptor type 1 (MC-1R) is an important control point for ultraviolet ray (UVR) - induced tanning response in the skin. In this study, we show that p-locus is a downstream target for MC-1R signaling. The expression of p-locus was up-regulated by α-MSH as well as db-cAMP, a synthetic analogue of cAMP that mimics activation of MC-1R. Furthermore, p-locus transcript abundance was significantly increased in epidermal melanocytes of white skin with facultative (UVR-induced) pigmentation. Because p-locus product is essential for pigmentation and also has been shown to be highly polymorphic in human population, we propose that the pigmentary response to the melanocortin peptides/UVR would be affected not only by MC-1R mutations but also by the functionality of p-locus product. These factors together could account for the many different levels of tanning ability seen in the white population.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0038050981&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2003.tb03202.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2003.tb03202.x
M3 - Article
C2 - 12851338
AN - SCOPUS:0038050981
SN - 0077-8923
VL - 994
SP - 373
EP - 377
JO - Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
JF - Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
ER -