Regulation of constitutive and UVR-induced skin pigmentation by melanocortin 1 receptor isoforms.

Melanin synthesized by epidermal melanocytes protects the skin against UVR-induced DNA damage and skin cancer. Exposure to UVR increases the synthesis of the photoprotective eumelanin on activation of MC1R, a melanoma susceptibility gene. We studied the expression of MC1R under UVR and alpha-MSH stimulation in skin of different ethnic origins and in melanocytes of various pigmentary levels.