Effects of the melanin precursor 5,6-dihydroxy-indole-2-carboxylic acid (DHICA) on DNA damage and repair in the presence of reactive oxygen species.

Eumelanin is a heterogeneous polymer composed of 5,6-dihydroxyindole-2-carboxylic acid (DHICA) and 5,6-dihydroxyindole (DHI). Studies have shown that DHICA promotes single strand breaks in plasmid DNA exposed to ultraviolet B radiation (UVB, 313 nm) and in DNA from human keratinocytes exposed to ultraviolet A radiation (UVA, 340-400 nm). Singlet molecular oxygen ((1)O2) is the main reactive species formed by UVA radiation on the skin.