Melanocytes/ Pigment Flashcards
Embryonic origin of melanocytes
Neural crest
Transcription factor expressed by transient neural crest cells
SOX10
Gene important for specifying melanoblasts
**MITF
+PAX3
(downregulation of FOXD3)
Cell signals for differentiation from melanoblast to melanocyte
Wnt
KIT/SCF
Endothelin 3/EDNRB
FGF
BMP
E-cadherin, P cadherin
Locations of melanocytes throughout body
Skin
Oral mucosa
Eyes
Leptomeninges
Ear
Location of non-melanocyte transient neural crest cells
Facial connective tissues
Heart
GI nervous system
Disorders of melanoblast migration (3)
- Piebaldism
-white spots on midline, normal ears/eyes - Waardenburg syndrome
-white coat, eyes/ears/muscle/etc affected
-Lethal white foal syndrome (EDNRB), megacolon - Tietz syndrome (MITF)
-white coat, eyes, deaf + microophalmia
Gene for piebaldism in brown swiss cattle, holstein, Simmental cattle
MITF
Gene for piebaldism in Birman cat (white glove), white spots in horses, cattle, pigs
KIT
Gene for white belting in cows
TWIST2
Gene for roan color in Belgian blue cattle, short horned cattle
SCF/KITLG
Genes (2) for increased digital SCC in poodles, Giant Schnauzers
MC1R
KITLG
Gene for coat color intensity
KITLG (# of copies of the gene)
Genes (2) for waardenburg syndrome in dogs
MITF, SILV
Genes for waardenburg syndrome in cats
KIT
Genes for waardenburg syndrome in cattle, pigs
MITF
Genes (3) for waardenburg syndrome in horses
EDNRB
PAX3
MITF
Gene for lethal white foal syndrome, lethal white lamb syndrome
EDNRB
Waardenburg type___ = lethal white foal syndrome
4
Clinical signs of lethal white foal syndrome
White coat, aganglionic megacolon
Piebaldism: clinical signs
White coat
Eyes/ears normal
Waardenburg syndrome: clinical signs:
White coat, senorineural deafness, depigmented iris, other NCC disorders
Tietz syndrome gene in cow
MITF
Clinical sign of Tietz syndrome in cow
White head, eyes, deaf
+ Microophthlamia
(overlap w/Waardenburg type 2)
Where are melanocyte stem cells in the skin?
Hair follicle (bulge), epidermis (basale), dermis, eccrine sweat glands
Cell signal to localize melanocyte stem cells to hair bulge (to live with keratinocyte stem cells!)
KIT/KIT-L interactions with keratinocytes!
(+cadherins, integrins, COL17)
Cell signal to localize melanocytes to anagen hair bulb (by keratinocytes)
KIT (melanocyte)/KIT-L (keratinocyte)
Cell signals for melanocyte stem cell interactions with the hair follicle
Wnt
B-RAF C-RAF
NOTCH
TGF-B
BDN
NFIB
What happens if melanocytes aren’t distributed evenly throughout the hair bulb
dilute coat color
(ie ancient horses)
How does TBX3 affect hair shaft color?
TBX3 suppresses KIT-L on keratinocytes
–> melanocytes are not recruited to the hair bulb
*Modern horses have mutation to inactivate TBX3, resulting in more robust hair color
2 incidents that can recruit melanocytes from follicle to epidermis
1) Wounding
2) UVB irradiation
Cell signal to recruit melanocytes from follicle to epidermis
MC1R
Damage to which type of cell can also cause injury to melanocytes –> causing greying
Ketatinocyte stem cells
Share a niche in the bulge
Which drug has been associated with reversible hair graying?
Tyrosine kinase KIT inhibitors –> Palladia
Autosomal dominant mutation of STX17 results in which phenotype?
Gray horse phenotype –> Premature graying
Gray horse phenotype mode of inheritance
Autosomal dominant
Gray horse phenotype gene
STX17
How old are grey horses when they lose nearly all their hair pigment?
Age 6-8 yrs old
What percent of grey horses develop cutaneous melanomas by age 15?
70-80%
What cancer are grey horses overrepresented for?
Cutaneous melanoma
What gene OTHER than STX17 is likely responsible for grey coat phenotypes in horses? (melanoma formation, vitiligo-like depigmentation, speckling)
ASIP
Etiology of grey horse phenotype?
Defect in hair follicle melanocyte stem cell survival
Which body parts receive melanosomes from keratinocytes?
Epidermis, hair follicle, mucosae
Melanosomes are lysosome-related organelles (LRO). Name 2 others
-Platelet dense granules
-Type II pneumocyte lamellar bodies
Eumelanin color
Black/brown
Pheomelanin color
Yellow/red
Stage I melanosome formation
Formation of organelle vesicle structure
(build the restaurant)
Stage II melanosome formation
-Put in supportive protein fibrils, which gives melanosome its shape
-Add enzymes to make the melanin; derived from golgi
Fibril function: support + shaping (premelanosome protein 17 [SILV]
+ MART-1, GPNMB)
(hire the servers)
Stage III melanosome formation
Melanin deposited along fibrils, but you can still see the fibrils
(make a few pizzas, soft open)
Stage IV melanosome formation
Melanosome is full of pigment, can no longer see fibrils
(Restaurant is a success. Full of pizzas)
Hermansky Pudlak Syndrome clinical signs
White coat, hypopigmented eyes, leukocyte problems!
“Pud Lacking blood”
Why do dogs with Hermansky Pudlak Syndrome also have blood cell issues?
Melanosomes and platelet dense granules have similar Lysosomal related organelle biomechanics
IHC targets for melanocytes, melanomas
Tyrosinase
MITG
Melan-A/Mart1
Also Vimentin, S-100
When are melanocytes activated during hair cycle
Anagen
Which cell signal is important for activating melanocytes during anagen
Wnt
What is the common precursor to both eumelanin and pheomelanin?
Dopaquinone
Main protein fibril in melanosomes
Premelanosome protein 17 (SILV)
Which cells other than melanocytes have LROs (lysosome related organelles)?
Platelets
Neutrophils
T cells
Type II pneumocytes
Other name for Gray Collie syndrome
Canine Cyclical Hematopoiesis
Clinical signs of Gray Collie syndrome/ Canine Cyclical Hematopoiesis
-Dilute skin/hair coat
-Cyclical neutropenia, thromocytopenia, anemia
-Recurrent infections
-Grey/dilute nasal planum
Cause of dilute coat in grey collie syndrome
Inadequate delivery of melanin synthesis enzymes from golgi to melanosome –> decreased melanization of melanosomes
Gene causing grey collie syndrome (HPS type 2)
AP3B1
(B1 subunit of the AP-3 complex that delivers biosynthesis enzymes from golgi to melanosome)
Coat color phenotye associated with HPS type 3 in French bulldogs (decreased platelet dense granules w/o bleeding)
Cocoa coat color
Gene mutation causing HPS type 3 of French bulldogs (decreased platelet dense granules w/o bleeding)
BLOC gene mutation (important for transportation of biosynthesis enzymes from golgi to melanosome)