Melanocytes In Mice Research Articles

1257 Effects and mechanisms of blue LED lighting on brain functions through epidermal melanocytes of mice

1257 Effects and mechanisms of blue LED lighting on brain functions through epidermal melanocytes of mice

Genetically engineered multicistronic allele of Pmel yielding highly specific CreERT2-mediated recombination in the melanocyte lineage.

Genetic approaches that allow lineage tracing are essential to our future understanding of melanocytes and melanoma. To date, the approaches used to label melanocytes in mice have relied on random integration of transgenes driven by the promoters of the Tyrosinase and Dopachrome tautomerase genes, knock-in to the Dopachrome tautomerase locus or knock-in to the Mlanalocusinabacterial artificial chromosome. These strategies result in expression in other tissues such as telencephalon and other cell types such as nerves. Here we used homologous recombination in mouse embryonic stem cells to generate a targeted multicistronic allele of the Pmel locus that drives melanocyte-specific expression of CreERT2, nuclear localised H2B-Cerulean and membrane localised marcks-mKate2 allowing live imaging of melanocytes and activation of other conditional alleles. We combined this allele with R26R-EYFP mice allowing induction of EYFP expression on administration of tamoxifen or its metabolite 4-OHT. The fluorescent proteins H2B-Cerulean and marcks-mKate2 label the cell nucleus and plasma membrane respectively allowing live imaging and FACS isolation of melanoblasts and melanocytes as well as serving to provide an internal control allowing estimation of recombination efficiency after administration of tamoxifen. We demonstrate the utility of the transgene in embryonic and adult tissues.

Sox2 in the dermal papilla regulates hair follicle pigmentation.

Within the hair follicle (HF) niche, dermal papilla (DP) cells are well known for the hair induction capacity; however, DP cell signaling also regulates HF pigmentation. Here we describe how Sox2 in the DP is a key regulator of melanocyte signaling. To study the largely unknown regulatory role the DP has on hair pigmentation, we characterize leptin receptor (Lepr) expression in the skin and as a genetic tool to target the DP. Sox2 ablation in the DP results in a phenotypic switch from eumelanin to pheomelanin. Mechanistically, we describe a temporal upregulation of Agouti and downregulation of Corin, directly by Sox2 in the DP. We also show that bone morphogenic protein (BMP) signaling regulation by Sox2 is responsible for downregulating MC1R, Dct, and Tyr in melanocytes of Sox2 cKO mice. Thus, we demonstrate that Sox2 in the DP regulates not only the choice of hair pigment but also the overall HF pigment production.

Ultraviolet radiation induces Melan-A-expressing cells in interfollicular epidermis in wild-type mice.

Adult wild-type mice are not supposed to be proper models for ultraviolet radiation (UVR)-induced melanoma since melanocytes are confined to hair follicles and cannot be sufficiently reached by UVR. On the other hand, in mutated mouse models used for melanoma research limitations, including an altered immune system and selection of affected pathways, lead to tumors phenotypically quite different from naturally occurring melanomas. We compared the distribution of epidermal melanocytes in UVR and not-UVR-exposed wild-type C57BL/6 mice. Starting at the age of 8weeks, mice were exposed to physiologic doses of UVR three times weekly over 16weeks. Back skin biopsies were taken 4, 8, 12 and 16 weeks after initiation of exposure, and stained for Melan-A, representing a highly selective marker for melanocytes. Surprisingly, after exposure to UVR, Melan-A positive cells were detected also in the interfollicular epidermis of C57BL/6 mice. We conclude that UVR is capable of inducing interfollicular epidermal melanocytes in wild-type mice.

UVB represses melanocyte cell migration and acts through β-catenin.

The exposure of skin to ultraviolet (UV) radiation can have both beneficial and deleterious effects: it can lead, for instance, to increased pigmentation and vitamin D synthesis but also to inflammation and skin cancer. UVB may induce genetic and epigenetic alterations and have reversible effects associated with post-translational and gene regulation modifications. β-catenin is a main driver in melanocyte development; although infrequently mutated in melanoma, its cellular localization and activity are frequently altered. Here, we evaluate the consequence of UVB on β-catenin in the melanocyte lineage. We report that in vivo, UVB induces cytoplasmic/nuclear relocalization of β-catenin in melanocytes of newborn mice and adult human skin. In mouse melanocyte and human melanoma cell lines in vitro, UVB increases β-catenin stability, accumulation in the nucleus and cotranscriptional activity, leading to the repression of cell motility and velocity. The activation of the β-catenin signalling pathway and its effect on migration by UVB are increased by an inhibitor of GSK3β, and decreased by an inhibitor of β-catenin. In conclusion, UVB represses melanocyte migration and does so by acting through the GSK3-β-catenin axis.

Blood supply--susceptible formation of melanin pigment in hair bulb melanocytes of mice.

Background:Allogeneic skin grafts onto C57BL/6 mice are rejected, and the rejected skin is replaced by surrounding skin with black hair. In contrast, syngeneic skin grafts are tolerated, and gray hair grows on the grafts.Methods:To explore the mechanism of gray hair growing on the tolerated skin grafts, we prepared full-thickness skin (2-cm square) autografts, 2 (2 cm + 2 cm) horizontal or vertical parallel incisions, and U-shaped (2 cm × 2 cm × 2 cm) flaps with or without pedicle vessels. The grafts, incisions, and flaps were fixed by suturing with string and protected by a transparent bandage. On day 14 after the operation, the bandages were removed to observe the color of the hair growing on the skin.Results:Skin autografts from wild-type or hepatocyte growth factor-transgenic (Tg) C57BL/6 mice survived with gray hair, whereas those from steel factor (Kitl)-Tg C57BL/6 mice survived with black hair. In addition, U-shaped flaps lacking both of the 2 main feeding vessels of wild-type mice had gray hair at the tip of the flaps. Light microscopy after staining with hematoxylin and eosin or dihydroxyphenylalanine showed that the formation of melanin pigment in the follicles, but not in the interadnexal skin, was susceptible to the blood supply.Conclusions:Melanin pigment formation in the hair bulb melanocytes appeared to be susceptible to the blood supply, and melanocytosis was promoted in the follicles and in the epidermis of Kitl-Tg C57BL/6 mice.

MTORC1 Activation Blocks BrafV600E-Induced Growth Arrest but Is Insufficient for Melanoma Formation

Braf(V600E) induces benign, growth-arrested melanocytic nevus development, but also drives melanoma formation. Cdkn2a loss in Braf(V600E) melanocytes in mice results in rare progression to melanoma, but only after stable growth arrest as nevi. Immediate progression to melanoma is prevented by upregulation of miR-99/100, which downregulates mTOR and IGF1R signaling. mTORC1 activation through Stk11 (Lkb1) loss abrogates growth arrest of Braf(V600E) melanocytic nevi, but is insufficient for complete progression to melanoma. Cdkn2a loss is associated with mTORC2 and Akt activation in human and murine melanocytic neoplasms. Simultaneous Cdkn2a and Lkb1 inactivation in Braf(V600E) melanocytes results in activation of both mTORC1 and mTORC2/Akt, inducing rapid melanoma formation in mice. In this model, activation of both mTORC1/2 is required for Braf-induced melanomagenesis.

Coat color dilution in mice because of inactivation of the melanoma antigen MART‐1

Melanoma antigen recognized by T cells 1 (MART-1) is a melanoma-specific antigen, which has been thoroughly studied in the context of immunotherapy against malignant melanoma and which is found only in the pigment cell lineage. However, its exact function and involvement in pigmentation is not clearly understood. Melanoma antigen recognized by T cells 1 has been shown to interact with the melanosomal proteins Pmel17 and OA1. To understand the function of MART-1 in pigmentation, we developed a new knockout mouse model. Mice deficient in MART-1 are viable, but loss of MART-1 leads to a coat color phenotype, with a reduction in total melanin content of the skin and hair. Lack of MART-1 did not affect localization of melanocyte-specific proteins nor maturation of Pmel17. Melanosomes of hair follicle melanocytes in MART-1 knockout mice displayed morphological abnormalities, which were exclusive to stage III and IV melanosomes. In conclusion, our results suggest that MART-1 is a pigmentation gene that is required for melanosome biogenesis and/or maintenance.

Murine Neonatal Melanocytes Exhibit a Heightened Proliferative Response to Ultraviolet Radiation and Migrate to the Epidermal Basal Layer

Melanocytes respond to UVR not only by producing melanin, but also by proliferating. This is essentially a protective response. We have studied the melanocyte proliferative response after a single UVR exposure to neonatal mice. At 3 days post-UVR in wild-type neonates we observed a marked melanocyte activation not seen in adults. Melanocytes migrated to the epidermal basal layer, their numbers peaking at 3-5 days after UVR then diminishing. They appeared to emanate from the hair follicle, migrating to the epidermis via the outer root sheath. In melanoma-prone mice with melanocyte-specific overexpression of Hras(G12V), basal layer melanocytes were increased in size and dendricity compared to UVR-treated wild-type mice. Melanocytes in mice carrying a pRb pathway cell-cycle defect (oncogenic Cdk4(R24C)) did not show an enhanced response to UVR such as those carrying Hras(G12V). The exquisite sensitivity to UVR-induced proliferation and migration that characterizes neonatal mouse melanocytes may partly explain the utility of this form of exposure for inducing melanoma in mice that carry oncogenic mutations.

Ferrous Ferric Chloride Stimulates the Skin Cell Function and Hair Growth in Mice

Ferrous ferric chloride (FFC) is a distinct form of aqueous iron composed of a complex of ferrous chloride and ferric chloride that participates in both oxidation and reduction reactions. The author's previous study showed that the supplementation of culture medium with FFC stimulated the proliferation and differentiation of keratinocytes and melanocytes in newborn mice. FFC also stimulated the proliferation of cultured human keratinocytes, fibroblasts, and melanocytes. However, it is not known whether FFC stimulates the proliferation and differentiation of mammalian skin cells as well as hair growth in vivo. To answer this question, FFC-containing skin lotions (FFC Super Essence Plain and Moisture Type, Akatsuka Co.) were painted on the dorsal skin of newborn C57BL/10JHir (B10) mice and tested for their proliferation- and differentiation-stimulating effects on keratinocytes, fibroblasts, and melanocytes as well as for their stimulating effects on the hair growth. This treatment stimulated the proliferation and differentiation of epidermal keratinocytes, dermal fibroblasts, and epidermal and dermal melanocytes in the skin as well as hair growth. From 2 to 3 weeks after birth B10 mice generally lose their hairs except those on the head at the telogen stage of the hair growth cycle due to the expression of the alopecia. The treatment with FFC lotions markedly inhibited the alopecia hair-loss. These results suggest that FFC can stimulate the proliferation and differentiation of keratinocytes, fibroblasts, and melanocytes in the skin as well as the hair growth, and, in addition, can inhibit the alopecia hair-loss.

Special skin cells get pigments

Skin coloration comes from melanocytes, which donate pigment to epithelial cells. Now, findings from Lorin Weiner, Rong Han, Janice Brissette (Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA), and colleagues reveal that color is given out selectively to the dedicated skin cells that request it. Figure 1 Melanocytes (green) accumulate around extra Foxn1 (red) in mouse skin. Since melanocytes are the givers of melanin, they've been the focus of studies on coloration. “But we are now showing that epithelial cells tell the melanocytes what to do,” says Brissette. “It's analogous to a child's coloring book. Pigment recipients collectively form the outline of the picture, where the pigments should be placed. And the melanocytes color in the picture.” Brissette's group is interested in a transcription factor called Foxn1 and its role in the skin. For functional studies, they created mice whose skin precursor cells made extra Foxn1. The mice developed dark skin that had extra melanocytes. As the mice matured, the cells making Foxn1 became sparser. Melanocytes persisted mainly near the remaining Foxn1-expressing cells, suggesting that those cells might help melanocytes survive or proliferate. One survival factor that melanocytes don't make themselves but do need in culture is Fgf2. The authors found that Foxn1 activated Fgf2 expression, resulting in its secretion from epithelial cells. Blocking Fgf2 activity killed off the extra melanocytes in the transgenic mice. Humans, who have darker skin than do mice, expressed Foxn1 more widely in epithelial cells. But whether Foxn1 defects cause human pigmentation diseases is not yet known. Reference: Weiner, L., et al. 2007. Cell. 130:932–942. [PubMed]

Melanosome Maturation Defect in Rab38-deficient Retinal Pigment Epithelium Results in Instability of Immature Melanosomes during Transient Melanogenesis

Pathways of melanosome biogenesis in retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells have received less attention than those of skin melanocytes. Although the bulk of melanin synthesis in RPE cells occurs embryonically, it is not clear whether adult RPE cells continue to produce melanosomes. Here, we show that progression from pmel17-positive premelanosomes to tyrosinase-positive mature melanosomes in the RPE is largely complete before birth. Loss of functional Rab38 in the "chocolate" (cht) mouse causes dramatically reduced numbers of melanosomes in adult RPE, in contrast to the mild phenotype previously shown in skin melanocytes. Choroidal melanocytes in cht mice also have reduced melanosome numbers, but a continuing low level of melanosome biogenesis gradually overcomes the defect, unlike in the RPE. Partial compensation by Rab32 that occurs in skin melanocytes is less effective in the RPE, presumably because of the short time window for melanosome biogenesis. In cht RPE, premelanosomes form but delivery of tyrosinase is impaired. Premelanosomes that fail to deposit melanin are unstable in both cht and tyrosinase-deficient RPE. Together with the high levels of cathepsin D in immature melanosomes of the RPE, our results suggest that melanin deposition may protect the maturing melanosome from the activity of lumenal acid hydrolases.

Changes of melanosome morphology associated with the differentiation of epidermal melanocytes in slaty mice

The slaty (Dct(slt)) mutation is known to reduce the activity of dopachrome tautomerase, which converts dopachrome to 5,6-dihydroxyindole-2-carboxylic acid in the pathway of eumelanin synthesis and to inhibit melanosome maturation in melanocytes. However, it is not known whether the inhibition of melanosome maturation in slaty melanocytes is developmentally regulated. To address this point, changes in the morphology and maturation of melanosomes in cultured epidermal melanocytes derived from newborn mice of wild-type (black) and slaty mutant were surveyed under the electron microscope. In black melanocytes (Dct(+)), almost all melanosomes were elliptical stage IV melanosomes. However, in slaty melanocytes, numerous spherical stage III melanosomes with globular depositions of pigment in addition to elliptical stage III melanosomes with intraluminal fibrils were observed. Mixed-type melanosomes containing both globular deposition and intraluminal fibrils of pigment were also observed. In slaty melanocytes, spherical and mixed-type melanosomes were gradually decreased after birth, whereas elliptical melanosomes were gradually increased. Stage IV melanosomes were very few in slaty melanocytes, and the number did not increase after birth. These results suggest that the slaty mutation blocks the melanosome maturation at stage III and affects the melanosome morphology (elliptical or spherical) in a developmental stage-specific manner.

Ultraviolet B irradiation of the eye activates a nitric oxide-dependent hypothalamopituitary proopiomelanocortin pathway and modulates functions of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone-responsive cells.

Ultraviolet B radiation increases DOPA-positive melanocytes in the skin specifically at the site of exposure. We found unexpectedly that ultraviolet B irradiation of the eye increased the concentration of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone in plasma and systemically stimulated epidermal melanocytes in mice. To test the possible involvement of hypothalamopituitary proopiomelanocortin system in the systemic activation of skin melanocytes, ultraviolet B was also irradiated to the eye after hypophysectomy. Hypophysectomy strongly inhibited the ultraviolet B-induced stimulation of melanocytes. To elucidate the pathway by which ultraviolet B irradiation of the eye activated the hypothalamopituitary system, we examined the effect of bilateral ciliary ganglionectomy and denervation of the optic nerves on the ultraviolet B-induced melanocyte stimulation. Ciliary ganglionectomy, but not optic nerve denervation, strongly inhibited melanocyte stimulation by localized irradiation of the eye. Furthermore, melanocyte stimulation by localized ultraviolet B irradiation of the eye was not observed in mice that lack the inducible type of nitric oxide synthase. These results clearly indicate that a signal evoked by ultraviolet B irradiation of the eye is transmitted in a nitric oxide-dependent manner through the ciliary ganglia involving the first branch of the trigeminal nerve to the hypothalamopituitary proopiomelanocortin system, resulting in upregulation of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone secretion and consequent stimulation of melanocytes in the skin. The novel network involving the trigeminal nerve and nitric oxide-dependent signaling pathway might play important parts in the activation of proopiomelanocortin-dependent biologic reactions, such as alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone-induced stimulation of melanocytes in the skin, in ultraviolet B-enriched environments.

Requirements for the kit receptor tyrosine kinase during regeneration of zebrafish fin melanocytes.

Embryonic neural crest-derived melanocytes and their precursors express the kit receptor tyrosine kinase and require its function for their migration and survival. However, mutations in kit also cause deficits in melanocytes that make up adult pigment patterns, including melanocytes that re-establish the zebrafish fin stripes during regeneration. As adult melanocytes in mice and zebrafish are generated and maintained by stem cell populations that are presumably established during embryonic development, it has been proposed that adult phenotypes in kit mutants result from embryonic requirements for kit. We have used a temperature-sensitive zebrafish kit mutation to show that kit is required during adult fin regeneration to promote melanocyte differentiation, rather than during embryonic stages to establish their stem cell precursors. We also demonstrate a transient role for kit in promoting the survival of newly differentiated regeneration melanocytes.

Murine cutaneous mastocytosis and epidermal melanocytosis induced by keratinocyte expression of transgenic stem cell factor.

The growth and differentiation of mast cells and melanocytes require stem cell factor (SCF), the ligand for the kit receptor tyrosine kinase. SCF may exist as a membrane-bound or soluble molecule. Abnormalities of the SCF-kit signaling pathway, with increased local concentrations of soluble SCF, have been implicated in the pathogenesis of the human disease cutaneous mastocytosis, but have not yet been shown to play a causal role. To investigate both the potential of SCF to cause mastocytosis and its role in epidermal melanocyte homeostasis, we targeted the expression of SCF to epidermal keratinocytes in mice with two different transgenes controlled by the human keratin 14 promoter. The transgenes contained cDNAs that either produced SCF, which can exist in both membrane-bound and soluble forms, or SCF, which remains essentially membrane bound. Murine epidermal keratinocyte expression of membrane-bound/ soluble SCF reproduced the phenotype of human cutaneous mastocytosis, with dermal mast cell infiltrates and epidermal hyperpigmentation, and caused the maintenance of a population of melanocytes in the interadnexal epidermis, an area where melanocytes and melanin are found in human skin but where they are not typically found in murine skin. Expression of membrane-bound SCF alone resulted in epidermal melanocytosis and melanin production, but did not by itself cause mastocytosis. We conclude, first, that a phenotype matching that of human mastocytosis can be produced in mice by keratinocyte overproduction of soluble SCF, suggesting a potential cause of this disease. Second, we conclude that keratinocyte expression of membrane-bound SCF results in the postnatal maintenance of epidermal melanocytes in mice. Since the resulting animals have skin that more closely approximates human skin than do normal mice, their study may be more relevant to human melanocyte biology than the study of skin of normal mice.

Overexpression of anAgouticDNA in the Skin of Transgenic Mice Recapitulates Dominant Coat Color Phenotypes of Spontaneous Mutants

The classical mouse fancyAgoutigene is responsible for the wild-type coat color where hairs are banded black and yellow. TheAgoutigene encodes a 131-amino-acid secreted protein product that regulates phaeomelanin synthesis by melanocytes in mice. Mice with a dominant mutation at this locus,Ay, develop a yellow coat color, obesity, and diabetes, as the result of a deletion that results in ectopic overexpression of theAgoutigene mRNA in all tissues examined. Obesity and diabetes inAymutant mice could be caused by circulation of the protein, or localized action in specific tissues as a paracrine factor acting in cell–cell communication. To test these two possibilities, theAgouticDNA was overexpressed in the skin of transgenic mice using either theTyrosinase-Related Protein-1or the keratin-14 (K14) promoter, the latter with and without an intron. The K14 promoter directed high constitutive levels of expression ofAgoutimRNA in the skin, and several lines of transgenic mice exhibited coat colors resembling dominantAgoutiallele phenotypes. Two highly expressing K14–Agouti transgenic lines, with light-yellow pelage, were analyzed for obesity and hyperglycemia. The transgenic mice were not significantly different from the controls (P> 0.05), indicating that theAgoutiproduct does not act as an endocrine factor. RNase protection assays revealed a correlation between the levels of dorsal and ventral skin expression with pigmentation/phaeomelanin phenotypes. Co-injection experiments with the Agouti transgenes and other transgenes demonstrated co-integration of the two constructs at the same chromosomal site in approximately 95% of F1 progeny, allowing transgene inheritance to be visibly detected.

Misrouting of tyrosinase with a truncated cytoplasmic tail as a result of the murine platinum ( cp) mutation

Mice homozygous for the platinum (cp) allele at the albino locus manifest severe oculocutaneous albinism despite the presence in vitro of tyrosinase activity at 25% wild-type levels. We demonstrate that the cp allele results from an A-->T substitution, changing a lysine residue at position 489 to a termination codon, with truncation of tyrosinase's cytoplasmic tail. In choroidal melanocytes of neonatal mutant mice, tyrosinase activity could be detected in the trans Golgi network, but was absent from melanosomes. Instead, it was detected in vesicles in the cell periphery and dendrites, and on the extracellular surface. In the retinal pigment epithelium, activity was present on the extracellular apical and basolateral surfaces. Our results demonstrate misrouting of a mutant tyrosinase lacking its cytoplasmic tail, providing an explanation for the severe effect of this mutation on ocular and cutaneous pigmentation.

Effects of Monoclonal Anti-c-Kit Antibody (ACK2) on Melanocytes in Newborn Mice

Previous studies indicate that c-Kit is required for postnatal melanocyte development. To understand the precise mechanisms of c-Kit dependence, we studied melanocyte development in newborn C57BL/6 mice by means of peritoneal injection of a monoclonal anti-c-Kit antibody (ACK2), which blocks c-Kit functions. The mice were injected once or more with ACK2 at various intervals after birth. In experiment 1, skin samples were examined on day 10 post-partum and in experiment 2 they were examined daily until day 10 post-partum. We studied melanocytes in the hair follicles, epidermis, and dermis by light and electron microscopy with dopa reactions and immunohistochemistry. Epidermal melanocytes in untreated mice were dopa negative and c-Kit positive on day 0 post-partum but became dopa positive soon thereafter. In ACK2-treated mice, the earlier the mice received ACK2 injections after birth, the fewer melanocytes they had, not only in the epidermis, but also in follicles. In these mice, melanocytes that had undergone apoptosis in the dermis and the follicles were detected ultrastructurally. Some appeared to have produced tyrosinase, because they had dopa-positive melanosomes. These results suggest that melanocytes in newborn mice are c-Kit dependent and undergo apoptosis when c-Kit receptors are blocked by ACK2 in the early days after birth. During this c-Kit-dependent period, melanocytes differentiate from dopa negative to positive and migrate from the epidermis to hair follicles.

Chemical Characterization of Hair Melanins in Various Coat-Color Mutants of Mice

Mammalian melanins exist in two chemically distinct forms: the brown to black eumelanins and the yellow to reddish pheomelanins. Melanogenesis is influenced by a number of genes, the levels of whose products determine the quantity and quality of the melanins produced. To examine the effects of various coat-color genes on the chemical properties of melanins synthesized in the follicular melanocytes of mice, we have introduced new methods to solubilize differentially pheomelanins and brown-type eumelanins. We applied these and previously developed high-performance liquid chromatography and spectrophotometric methods for assaying eu- and pheomelanins to characterize melanins in various mutant mice: black, lethal yellow, viable yellow, agouti, brown, light, albino, dilute, recessive yellow, pink-eyed dilution, slaty, and silver. It was demonstrated that 1) complete solubilization of melanins in Soluene-350 is a convenient method to estimate the total amount of eu- and pheomelanins, 2) lethal yellow, viable yellow, and recessive yellow hairs contain almost pure pheomelanins, and 3) melanins from brown, light, silver, and pink-eyed black hairs share chemical properties in common that are characterized by partial solubility in strong alkali. We suggest that 1) the brown-type eumelanins have lower degrees of polymerization than the black-type eumelanins, and 2) slaty hair melanin contains a greatly reduced ratio of 5,6-dihydroxyindole-2-carboxylic acid-derived units as compared with black and other eumelanic hair melanins. These results indicate that our methodology, high-performance liquid chromatography and spectrophotometric methods combined, may be useful in chemically characterizing melanin pigments produced in follicular melanocytes.