Melanophores: Smooth Muscle Cells in Disguise

Salim, Saima; Ali, Sharique A.

doi:10.5772/48256

Cited by 6 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 92 publications

(115 reference statements)

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“…A selective sweep is an occurrence in which a gene variant presents a benefit and is therefore selected (Pritchard et al, 2010). One example of a pigmentation cell is a melanophore, which contains melanin and was thoroughly studied when understanding pigmentation in zebrafish and humans (Salim & Ali, 2012). Haplotype Map is an online database with the published human genome and is often used to identify human genes during scientific experiments ("A haplotype map of the human genome", 2005).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Zebrafish Demystify Human Skin Color Variation and Develop a Basis for Pigmentation

Prakash

2022

J Stud Res

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Human skin color was demystified due to zebrafish and their genes. The paper focuses on three main aspects of the study: the methods and experiments scientists designed with zebrafish and humans, the impacts of the results, and the current level of understanding by a general audience. The paper relies on secondary sources, photographs, and a survey. Secondary data and examples are evaluated using the following criteria: information on the gene and its function, information on its relation to humans, and a larger picture analysis. The paper follows the sequence of the experiment. Photographs are taken to study and compare the pigmentations of two types of zebrafish, and how they were utilized in the experiment. A survey is circulated to a general audience to gauge the current level of knowledge surrounding reasons behind pigmentation in humans. The findings explain the methods scientists used to identify significant genes in zebrafish and humans. Through the identification and study of these genes, scientists developed an evolutionary and genetic basis behind human skin color. The survey shows that the majority of respondents were unfamiliar with the experiments and the scientific community’s insight into human skin color. This study raises awareness to the general public about the basis for human skin color. This experiment can be applied to further study other organisms or investigate different aspects of humans.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Zebrafish Demystify Human Skin Color Variation and Develop a Basis for Pigmentation

Prakash

2022

J Stud Res

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“…When lighter color is needed, the melanin is transported to the center of the cell, which is known as “pigment aggregation.” Melanosomes are organelles contained in melanophores that are responsible for synthesizing and transporting melanin within melanophores. Melanophores have been described as smooth muscle cells in disguise because myosin V is responsible for melanosome transport along actin filaments, with the help of the microtubule‐associated proteins dynein and kinesin (Salim and Ali ). Kinesin II and myosin V work together to mediate dispersion, whereas dynein mediates aggregation by facilitating retrograde transport of melanosomes along microtubules and actin filaments (Reilein et al ; Gross et al ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Flavor Enhancer Maltol Increases Pigment Aggregation in Dermal and Neural Melanophores in Xenopus laevis Tadpoles

Dahora

Fitzgerald

Emanuel

et al. 2019

Enviro Toxic and Chemistry

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Melanophores are pigmented cells that change the distribution of melanosomes, enabling animals to appear lighter or darker for camouflage, thermoregulation, and protection from ultraviolet radiation. A complex series of hormonal and neural mechanisms regulates melanophore pigment distribution, making these dynamic cells a valuable tool to screen toxicants as they rapidly respond to changes in the environment. We found that maltol, a naturally occurring flavor enhancer and fragrance agent, induces melanophore pigment aggregation in a dose-dependent manner in Xenopus laevis tadpoles.To determine if maltol affects camouflage adaptation, we placed tadpoles into maltol baths situated over either a white or a black background. Maltol induced pigment aggregation in a similar dose-dependent pattern regardless of background color. We also tested how maltol treatment compares to melatonin treatment and found that the degree of pigment aggregation induced by maltol is similar to treatment with melatonin but that maltol induces over a much longer time course. Last, maltol had no effect on mRNA expression in the brain of genes that regulate camouflage-related pigment aggregation. The present results suggest that maltol does not exert its effects via the camouflage adaptation mechanism or via melatoninrelated mechanisms. These results are the first to identify a putative toxicological effect of maltol exposure in vivo and rule out several mechanisms by which maltol may exert its effects on pigment aggregation. Environ Toxicol Chem 2020;39:381-395.

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“…Melanosomes are organelles contained in melanophores that are responsible for synthesizing and transporting melanin within melanophores. Melanophores have been described as smooth muscle cells in disguise, because myosin V is responsible for melanosome transport along actin filaments, with the help of microtubule associated proteins (MAPs) dynein and kinesin (Salim and Ali 2012). Kinesin II and myosin V work together to mediate dispersion, whereas dynein mediates aggregation by facilitating retrograde transport of melanosomes along microtubules and actin filaments (Reilein et al 1998; Gross et al 2002).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“The flavor enhancer maltol increases pigment aggregation in dermal and neural melanophores in Xenopus laevis tadpoles”

Dahora

Fitzgerald

Emanuel

et al. 2019

Preprint

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Melanophores are pigmented cells that change the distribution of pigmented melanosomes, enabling animals to appear lighter or darker for camouflage, thermoregulation, and UV-protection. A complex series of hormonal and neural mechanisms regulates melanophore pigment distribution, making these cells a valuable tool to screen toxicants as a dynamic cell type that responds rapidly to the environment. We found that maltol, a naturally occurring flavor enhancer and fragrance agent, induces melanophore pigment aggregation in a dose-dependent manner in Xenopus laevis tadpoles. To determine if maltol affects camouflage adaptation, we placed tadpoles into maltol baths situated over either white or black background. Maltol induced pigment aggregation in a similar dose-dependent pattern regardless of background color. We also tested how maltol treatment compares to melatonin treatment and found that the degree of pigment aggregation induced by maltol is similar to treatment with melatonin, but the time course differs significantly. Last, maltol had no effect on mRNA expression of pro-opiomelanocortin or melanin concentrating hormone receptor in the brain, both of which regulate camouflage-related pigment aggregation. Our results suggest that maltol does not exert its effects via the camouflage adaptation mechanism nor via melatonin-based mechanisms. These results are the first to identify a specific toxicological effect of maltol exposure and rules out several mechanisms by which maltol may exert its effects on pigment aggregation.

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Melanophores: Smooth Muscle Cells in Disguise

Cited by 6 publications

References 92 publications

Zebrafish Demystify Human Skin Color Variation and Develop a Basis for Pigmentation

Zebrafish Demystify Human Skin Color Variation and Develop a Basis for Pigmentation

The Flavor Enhancer Maltol Increases Pigment Aggregation in Dermal and Neural Melanophores in Xenopus laevis Tadpoles

“The flavor enhancer maltol increases pigment aggregation in dermal and neural melanophores in Xenopus laevis tadpoles”

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