title: alpha-Melanocyte-stimulating hormone binding and biological activity in a human melanoma cell line.
abstract: Synthetic alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) was found to bind to the plasma membrane of the HM6A human melanoma cell line, using an immunocytochemical method. When treated with 10(-7) to 10(-9) M alpha-MSH, melanoma cells exhibited an increase of intracellular cyclic adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate, followed by stimulation of tyrosinase activity. Significant inhibition of DNA synthesis measured by [3H]thymidine uptake and inhibition of cell growth was found. A retrovirus expression was detected in the supernatant of HM6A cells as assayed by the KC cell syncytium-forming test. In he presence of 10(-7) M alpha-MSH, the number of syncytium-forming units was increased 15-fold. These results demonstrate that alpha-MSH modulates human melanoma differentiation and virus expression in vitro.
mesh_terms: D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002460:Cell Line; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D004247:DNA / Q000096:biosynthesis; D006801:Humans; D009074:Melanocyte-Stimulating Hormones / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008545:Melanoma / Q000378:metabolism*; D014442:Monophenol Monooxygenase / Q000378:metabolism; D011485:Protein Binding; D012190:Retroviridae / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D009074:Melanocyte-Stimulating Hormones; D004247:DNA; D000242:Cyclic AMP; D014442:Monophenol Monooxygenase