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2014 ; 563
(ä): 35-41
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Ion transport in pigmentation
#MMPMID25034214
Bellono NW
; Oancea EV
Arch Biochem Biophys
2014[Dec]; 563
(ä): 35-41
PMID25034214
show ga
Skin melanocytes and ocular pigment cells contain specialized organelles called
melanosomes, which are responsible for the synthesis of melanin, the major
pigment in mammals. Defects in the complex mechanisms involved in melanin
synthesis and regulation result in vision and pigmentation deficits, impaired
development of the visual system, and increased susceptibility to skin and eye
cancers. Ion transport across cellular membranes is critical for many biological
processes, including pigmentation, but the molecular mechanisms by which it
regulates melanin synthesis, storage, and transfer are not understood. In this
review we first discuss ion channels and transporters that function at the plasma
membrane of melanocytes; in the second part we consider ion transport across the
membrane of intracellular organelles, with emphasis on melanosomes. We discuss
recently characterized lysosomal and endosomal ion channels and transporters
associated with pigmentation phenotypes. We then review the evidence for
melanosomal channels and transporters critical for pigmentation, discussing
potential molecular mechanisms mediating their function. The studies
investigating ion transport in pigmentation physiology open new avenues for
future research and could reveal novel molecular mechanisms underlying
melanogenesis.