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Melanins, Melanogenesis and Its Inhibitors and Melanin-Like Polymers: Sources, Types,...
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Melanins, Melanogenesis and Its Inhibitors and Melanin-Like Polymers: Sources, Types, Functions and Bioapplications

A special issue of Biomolecules (ISSN 2218-273X).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2019) | Viewed by 11132

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Francisco Solano

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Immunology, University of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain
Interests: tyrosinase and melanogenesis proteins; melanin pigmentation; photoprotection and other melanin functions; polyphenols as antioxidants; oxidative stress and ROS; skin-lightening agents; ocular melanin; melanin as polymeric biomaterial; bacterial and fungal melanins

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Melanins are an extremely widespread and versatile types of protective pigments occurring in many types of organisms. As you know, natural melanins are the major cause of skin, hair, and eye pigmentation in humans and other mammals, as well as in avian feathers. In other animals, reptiles, amphibians, fishes, cephalopod, and insects, melanin contributes to coloration and camouflage. Plant melanins are responsible for fruit and vegetable browning, showing important consequences in the commercial value of these products. Melanins are also found in lower organisms, such as fungi and bacteria. Most melanins are formed from phenols through a complex biosynthetic pathway involving copper-oxidases, catechol oxidases, tyrosinase and laccases, although other biomolecules and other proteins can be involved depending on the organism.

Synthetic melanins are relatively easy to obtain from some phenolic precursors, and they show very interesting and promising properties for use as biomaterial. Melanin-like nanoparticles are excellent bio-inspired materials for (bio)technological applications. In addition to the known functions in cosmetics as UV-protectors and free-radical-scavenging agents, bio-applications in other aspects of medicine seem to be promising. Injected melanin-like nanoparticles have been used as a drug-delivery system for imaging-guided chemotherapy, as contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging, and as photothermal therapeutic agent for cancer therapy.

This Special Issue offers an open access format for classical and new perspectives of the field. It will host results of basic and applied research. Contributions to this new Special Issue may cover all aspects of melanins, including natural and synthetic ones. Concerning natural melanins, synthesis, and its regulation, properties, darkening agents for the treatment of hypopigmentation and inhibitors of melanogenesis to be used as skin-lightening agents in hyperpigmentation. Concerning synthetic melanins, conditions of formation and conjugation with other organic components to get biomaterials with peculiar properties for nanoparticles with the applications related above. Both original experimental papers and updated reviews on all multidisciplinary aspects related to melanin are welcome.

Prof. Dr. Francisco Solano
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biomolecules is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • melanin types
  • melanin structure
  • biochemistry of melanogenesis
  • melanin properties
  • melanogenesis inhibitors
  • hyper and hypopigmentation disorders
  • skin-darkening and lightening agents
  • catecholamine oxidations
  • effect of radiations on melanin properties and melanin aging
  • natural phenols and flavonoids
  • melanin as biomaterial
  • synthetic melanin and melanin-conjugated polymers
  • melanin nanoparticles and melanin biofilms

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

9 pages, 6665 KiB  
Article
Identification of MicroRNA Targeting Mlph and Affecting Melanosome Transport
by Jeong Ah Lee, Seok Joon Hwang, Sung Chan Hong, Cheol Hwan Myung, Ji Eun Lee, Jong Il Park and Jae Sung Hwang
Biomolecules 2019, 9(7), 265; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/biom9070265 - 08 Jul 2019
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2855
Abstract
Melanosomes undergo a complex maturation process and migrate into keratinocytes. Melanophilin (Mlph), a protein complex involving myosin Va (MyoVa) and Rab27a, enables the movement of melanosomes in melanocytes. In this study, we found six miRNAs targeting Mlph in mouse using two programs (http://targetscan.org [...] Read more.
Melanosomes undergo a complex maturation process and migrate into keratinocytes. Melanophilin (Mlph), a protein complex involving myosin Va (MyoVa) and Rab27a, enables the movement of melanosomes in melanocytes. In this study, we found six miRNAs targeting Mlph in mouse using two programs (http://targetscan.org and DianaTools). When melan-a melanocytes were treated with six synthesized microRNAs, miR-342-5p, miR-1839-5p, and miR-3082-5p inhibited melanosome transport and induced melanosome aggregation around the nucleus. The other microRNAs, miR-5110, miR-3090-3p, and miR-186-5p, did not inhibit melanosome transport. Further, miR-342-5p, miR-1839-5p, and miR-3082-5p decreased Mlph expression. The effect of miR-342-5p was the strongest among the six synthesized miRNAs. It inhibited melanosome transport in melan-a melanocytes and reduced Mlph expression in mRNA and protein levels in a dose-dependent manner; however, it did not affect Rab27a and MyoVa expressions, which are associated with melanosome transport. To examine miR-342-5p specificity, we performed luciferase assays in a mouse melanocyte-transfected reporter vector including Mlph at the 3′-UTR (untranslated region). When treated with miR-342-5p, luciferase activity that had been reduced by approximately 50% was restored after inhibitor treatment. Therefore, we identified a novel miRNA affecting Mlph and melanosome transport, and these results can be used for understanding Mlph expression and skin pigmentation regulation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Melanins, Melanogenesis and Its Inhibitors and Melanin-Like Polymers: Sources, Types, Functions and Bioapplications)
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9 pages, 1332 KiB  
Article
Melanins of Inonotus Obliquus: Bifidogenic and Antioxidant Properties
by Marina A. Burmasova, Aidana A. Utebaeva, Elena V. Sysoeva and Maria A. Sysoeva
Biomolecules 2019, 9(6), 248; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/biom9060248 - 24 Jun 2019
Cited by 20 | Viewed by 4139
Abstract
Extracts and melanins from Inonotus obliquus are widely used in medicine due to their high antioxidant properties. This study is dedicated to define the influence of the physicochemical and antioxidant properties of Inonotus obliquus melanins and their bifidogenic effects on Bifidobacterium bifidum 1 [...] Read more.
Extracts and melanins from Inonotus obliquus are widely used in medicine due to their high antioxidant properties. This study is dedicated to define the influence of the physicochemical and antioxidant properties of Inonotus obliquus melanins and their bifidogenic effects on Bifidobacterium bifidum 1 and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis. For this purpose, melanins precipitated from Inonotus obliquus aqueous extracts, obtained by a few methods, and separated melanin fractions by organic solvents were used. For the melanin physicochemical properties analysis spectrophotometry, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy and dynamic light scattering methods were applied. Melanins and their fractions difference in particle size and charge, antioxidant properties, and redox potential were revealed. It was shown that the redox potential, the size of melanin particles and the z-potential had maximum influence on bifidobacteria growth. The greatest activating effect on bifidobacteria was established by using melanin isolated from aqueous microwave extracts in concentrations of 10−13, 10−10, 10−5 g/cm3. The use of this melanin with antioxidant activity 0.67 ± 0.06 mg/g (expressed as ascorbic acid equivalent), and with redox potential −5.51 ± 2.22 mV as a prebiotic allowed the growth of Bifidobacterium bifidum 1 s to increase by 1.4 times in comparison with ascorbic acid by 24 h of cultivation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Melanins, Melanogenesis and Its Inhibitors and Melanin-Like Polymers: Sources, Types, Functions and Bioapplications)
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13 pages, 1699 KiB  
Article
Development of a Competition-Binding Assay to Determine Binding Affinity of Molecules to Neuromelanin via Fluorescence Spectroscopy
by Jackson Fink, Heather Pathak, John Smith, Cindy Achat-Mendes and Robert L. Haining
Biomolecules 2019, 9(5), 175; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/biom9050175 - 08 May 2019
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3472
Abstract
Neuromelanin, the polymeric form of dopamine which accumulates in aging neuronal tissue, is increasingly recognized as a functional and critical component of a healthy and active adult human brain. Notorious in plant and insect literature for their ability to bind and retain amines [...] Read more.
Neuromelanin, the polymeric form of dopamine which accumulates in aging neuronal tissue, is increasingly recognized as a functional and critical component of a healthy and active adult human brain. Notorious in plant and insect literature for their ability to bind and retain amines for long periods of time, catecholamine polymers known colloquially as ‘melanins’ are nevertheless curiously absent from most textbooks regarding biochemistry, neuroscience, and evolution. Recent research has brought attention to the brain pigment due to its possible role in neurodegeneration. This linkage is best illustrated by Parkinson’s disease, which is characterized by the loss of pigmented dopaminergic neurons and the ‘white brain’ pathological state. As such, the ability to determine the binding affinity of neurotoxic agents, as well as any potential specific endogenous ligands to neuromelanin are of interest and potential value. Neuromelanin has been shown to have saturable binding interactions with nicotine as monitored by a fluorimeter. This interaction provides a signal to allow for a competition-binding assay with target molecules which do not themselves produce signal. The current report establishes the viability of this competition assay toward three compounds with central relevance to Parkinson’s disease. The Kd of binding toward neuromelanin by methyl-phenyl-pyridinium ion (MPP+), dopamine, and 6-hydroxydopamine were found to be 1 mM, 0.05 mM, and 0.1 mM, respectively in the current study. In addition, we demonstrate that 6-hydroxydopamine polymerizes to form neuromelanin granules in cultured dopaminergic neurons that treated with 2,4,5-trihydroxy-l-phenylalanine. Immunohistochemical analysis using fluor-tagged anti-dopamine antibodies suggests that the incorporation of 6-hydroxydopamine (following internalization and decarboxylation analogous to levodopa and dopamine) alters the localized distribution of bound dopamine in these cells. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Melanins, Melanogenesis and Its Inhibitors and Melanin-Like Polymers: Sources, Types, Functions and Bioapplications)
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