NADPH:quinone oxidoreductase-1 as a new regulatory enzyme that increases melanin synthesis.
Most hypopigmenting reagents target the inhibition of tyrosinase, the key enzyme involved in melanin synthesis. In this issue, Choi et al. report that NADPH:quinone oxidoreductase-1 (NQO1) increases melanin synthesis, probably via the suppression of tyrosinase degradation. Because NQO1 was identified by comparing normally pigmented melanocytes with hypopigmented acral lentiginous melanoma cells, these results suggest various hypotheses regarding the carcinogenic origin of the latter.
Department of Geriatric and Environmental Dermatology, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya, Japan. yujin@med.nagoya-cu.ac.jp
Yuji
Y
Yamaguchi
Vincent J
VJ
Hearing
Akira
A
Maeda
Akimichi
A
Morita
D006801:Humans; D008543:Melanins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008544:Melanocytes / Q000201:enzymology; D008545:Melanoma / Q000378:metabolism*; D014442:Monophenol Monooxygenase / Q000378:metabolism; D016660:NAD(P)H Dehydrogenase (Quinone) / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*
D008543:Melanins; D014442:Monophenol Monooxygenase; D016660:NAD(P)H Dehydrogenase (Quinone); C447479:NQO1 protein, human