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 alpha-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.
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Modulation of basophil activity: a novel function of the neuropeptide α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone.
J Allergy Clin Immunol
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Department of Dermatology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.
Background: Little is known about the effect of neuropeptides on basophils, which are important effector cells in immune and allergic responses.
Objective: This study aimed at revealing the role of α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) on basophil function.
Methods: Expression of melanocortin receptors and proopiomelanocortin (POMC) was analyzed by means of RT-PCR, Western immunoblotting, fluorescence-activated cell sorting, and double-immunofluorescence analysis.
Pro-opiomelanocortin gene delivery suppresses the growth of established Lewis lung carcinoma through a melanocortin-1 receptor-independent pathway.
J Gene Med
January 2012
Institute of Biomedical Science, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Background: Pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) is the precursor of several neuropeptides, such as corticotropin, melanocyte-stimulating hormone and the endogenous opioid (β-endorphin). Our previous studies have indicated that POMC gene delivery inhibited the progression and metastasis of B16-F10 melanoma via the α- melanocyte-stimulating hormone/melanortin-1 receptor (MC-1R) pathway.
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Effects of α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone on calcium concentration in SZ95 sebocytes.
Exp Dermatol
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Department of Dermatology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Melanocortins have been implicated in human sebum secretion for a long time. However, the signalling pathways of α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) in human sebocytes expressing melanocortin receptors (MC-Rs) are still poorly understood. Because calcium ions play a central role in MC-R signalling, we investigated whether α-MSH affects calcium signalling in the immortalized human sebocyte cell line SZ95.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFKdPT, a tripeptide derivative of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone, suppresses IL-1 beta-mediated cytokine expression and signaling in human sebocytes.
J Immunol
August 2010
Department of Dermatology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.
Article Synopsis
- Acne is a common skin condition where the cytokine IL-1 plays a key role in inflammation, but alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) has unwanted side effects that limit its use as an anti-inflammatory treatment.
- KdPT, a tripeptide derived from α-MSH, shows significant potential in reducing IL-1beta-induced inflammatory markers like IL-6 and IL-8 by blocking harmful pathways associated with NF-kappaB signaling and decreasing reactive oxygen species generation.
- Unlike α-MSH, KdPT does not promote skin pigmentation, making it a promising candidate for further research in treating acne and other inflammatory diseases linked to IL-1.
The melanocortin system in articular chondrocytes: melanocortin receptors, pro-opiomelanocortin, precursor proteases, and a regulatory effect of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone on proinflammatory cytokines and extracellular matrix components.
Arthritis Rheum
October 2009
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Centre for Medical Biotechnology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.
Objective: The pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC)-derived neuropeptide alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) mediates its effects via melanocortin (MC) receptors. This study was carried out to investigate the expression patterns of the MC system and the effects of alpha-MSH in human articular chondrocytes.
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