Entry
Name
Melanogenesis - Homo sapiens (human)
Description
Cutaneous melanin pigment plays a critical role in camouflage, mimicry, social communication, and protection against harmful effects of solar radiation. Melanogenesis is under complex regulatory control by multiple agents. The most important positive regulator of melanogenesis is the MC1 receptor with its ligands melanocortic peptides. MC1R activates the cyclic AMP (cAMP) response-element binding protein (CREB). Increased expression of MITF and its activation by phosphorylation (P) stimulate the transcription of tyrosinase (TYR), tyrosinase-related protein 1 (TYRP1), and dopachrome tautomerase (DCT), which produce melanin. Melanin synthesis takes place within specialized intracellular organelles named melanosomes. Melanin-containing melanosomes then move from the perinuclear region to the dendrite tips and are transferred to keratinocytes by a still not well-characterized mechanism.
Class
Organismal Systems; Endocrine system
BRITE hierarchy
Pathway map
Ortholog table
Drug
D06569 Bremelanotide (USAN/INN)
D10511 Afamelanotide (USAN/INN)
D11334 Afamelanotide acetate (USAN)
D11629 Bremelanotide acetate (USAN)
D12147 Dersimelagon (USAN/INN)
D12148 Dersimelagon phosphate (USAN)
Organism
Homo sapiens (human) [GN:
hsa ]
Gene
10488 CREB3; cAMP responsive element binding protein 3 [KO:K09048 ]
1385 CREB1; cAMP responsive element binding protein 1 [KO:K05870 ]
148327 CREB3L4; cAMP responsive element binding protein 3 like 4 [KO:K09048 ]
1855 DVL1; dishevelled segment polarity protein 1 [KO:K02353 ]
1856 DVL2; dishevelled segment polarity protein 2 [KO:K02353 ]
1857 DVL3; dishevelled segment polarity protein 3 [KO:K02353 ]
1910 EDNRB; endothelin receptor type B [KO:K04198 ]
2770 GNAI1; G protein subunit alpha i1 [KO:K04630 ]
2771 GNAI2; G protein subunit alpha i2 [KO:K04630 ]
2773 GNAI3; G protein subunit alpha i3 [KO:K04630 ]
2775 GNAO1; G protein subunit alpha o1 [KO:K04534 ]
3265 HRAS; HRas proto-oncogene, GTPase [KO:K02833 ]
3845 KRAS; KRAS proto-oncogene, GTPase [KO:K07827 ]
4286 MITF; melanocyte inducing transcription factor [KO:K09455 ]
434 ASIP; agouti signaling protein [KO:K08725 ]
4893 NRAS; NRAS proto-oncogene, GTPase [KO:K07828 ]
51176 LEF1; lymphoid enhancer binding factor 1 [KO:K04492 ]
64764 CREB3L2; cAMP responsive element binding protein 3 like 2 [KO:K09048 ]
6934 TCF7L2; transcription factor 7 like 2 [KO:K04491 ]
7306 TYRP1; tyrosinase related protein 1 [KO:K00506 ] [EC:1.14.18.-]
815 CAMK2A; calcium/calmodulin dependent protein kinase II alpha [KO:K04515 ] [EC:2.7.11.17 ]
816 CAMK2B; calcium/calmodulin dependent protein kinase II beta [KO:K04515 ] [EC:2.7.11.17 ]
817 CAMK2D; calcium/calmodulin dependent protein kinase II delta [KO:K04515 ] [EC:2.7.11.17 ]
818 CAMK2G; calcium/calmodulin dependent protein kinase II gamma [KO:K04515 ] [EC:2.7.11.17 ]
83439 TCF7L1; transcription factor 7 like 1 [KO:K04490 ]
84699 CREB3L3; cAMP responsive element binding protein 3 like 3 [KO:K09048 ]
90993 CREB3L1; cAMP responsive element binding protein 3 like 1 [KO:K09048 ]
Compound
C01245 D-myo-Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate
Reference
Authors
Slominski A, Tobin DJ, Shibahara S, Wortsman J.
Title
Melanin pigmentation in mammalian skin and its hormonal regulation.
Journal
Reference
Authors
Busca R, Ballotti R.
Title
Cyclic AMP a key messenger in the regulation of skin pigmentation.
Journal
Reference
Authors
Imokawa G.
Title
Autocrine and paracrine regulation of melanocytes in human skin and in pigmentary disorders.
Journal
Reference
Authors
Wikberg JE, Muceniece R, Mandrika I, Prusis P, Lindblom J, Post C, Skottner A.
Title
New aspects on the melanocortins and their receptors.
Journal
Reference
Authors
Chin L.
Title
The genetics of malignant melanoma: lessons from mouse and man.
Journal
Reference
Authors
Miller AJ, Mihm MC Jr.
Title
Melanoma.
Journal
Reference
Authors
Saito H, Yasumoto K, Takeda K, Takahashi K, Yamamoto H, Shibahara S.
Title
Microphthalmia-associated transcription factor in the Wnt signaling pathway.
Journal
Reference
Authors
Imokawa G, Kobayashi T, Miyagishi M, Higashi K, Yada Y.
Title
The role of endothelin-1 in epidermal hyperpigmentation and signaling mechanisms of mitogenesis and melanogenesis.
Journal
Reference
Authors
Park HY, Gilchrest BA.
Title
Signaling pathways mediating melanogenesis.
Journal
Cell Mol Biol (Noisy-le-grand) 45:919-30 (1999)
Reference
Authors
Park HY, Perez JM, Laursen R, Hara M, Gilchrest BA.
Title
Protein kinase C-beta activates tyrosinase by phosphorylating serine residues in its cytoplasmic domain.
Journal
Reference
Authors
Sturm RA, Teasdale RD, Box NF.
Title
Human pigmentation genes: identification, structure and consequences of polymorphic variation.
Journal
Reference
Authors
Hearing VJ.
Title
The melanosome: the perfect model for cellular responses to the environment.
Journal
Reference
Authors
Molina DM, Grewal S, Bardwell L.
Title
Characterization of an ERK-binding domain in microphthalmia-associated transcription factor and differential inhibition of ERK2-mediated substrate phosphorylation.
Journal
Related pathway
KO pathway