Specific incorporation of 4-S-cysteinylphenol into human melanoma cells.
The incorporation of 4-S-cysteinylphenol (4-S-CP), a tyrosine analog, into malignant melanoma cells was evaluated. 4-S-CP was specifically incorporated into the melanotic melanoma cells (HMV-II), which have activity for melanin synthesis, but was scarcely incorporated into HeLA S3 or HMV-I cells, which have no activity for melanin synthesis. Electron microscopic autoradiography revealed that the intracellular localization of 4-S-CP was closely correlated with melanogenesis and that 4-S-CP served as an initial substrate for tyrosinase and was utilized in melanin synthesis. On the basis of these findings we hypothesize that tyrosinase is required for intracellular incorporation of 4-S-CP. This specific incorporation of 4-S-CP into melanoma cells should be useful in the development of an effective procedure for chemotherapy of malignant melanomas and in analysis of melanin synthesis.
Nakamura
T
T
Second Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Japan.
Seki
S
S
Matsubara
O
O
Ito
S
S
Kasuga
T
T
D001345:Autoradiography; D003545:Cysteine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008545:Melanoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D013997:Time Factors; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
C043036:4-S-cysteinylphenol; D003545:Cysteine