title: Melanins and melanogenesis: methods, standards, protocols.
abstract: Despite considerable advances in the past decade, melanin research still suffers from the lack of universally accepted and shared nomenclature, methodologies, and structural models. This paper stems from the joint efforts of chemists, biochemists, physicists, biologists, and physicians with recognized and consolidated expertise in the field of melanins and melanogenesis, who critically reviewed and experimentally revisited methods, standards, and protocols to provide for the first time a consensus set of recommended procedures to be adopted and shared by researchers involved in pigment cell research. The aim of the paper was to define an unprecedented frame of reference built on cutting-edge knowledge and state-of-the-art methodology, to enable reliable comparison of results among laboratories and new progress in the field based on standardized methods and shared information.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy. dischia@unina.it
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: d'Ischia
authors.forename: Kazumasa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wakamatsu
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Napolitano
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Briganti
authors.forename: José-Carlos
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Garcia-Borron
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kovacs
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Meredith
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pezzella
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Picardo
authors.forename: Tadeusz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sarna
authors.forename: John D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Simon
authors.forename: Shosuke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ito
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D055592:Biophysical Phenomena; D002623:Chemistry Techniques, Analytical / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D008543:Melanins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000145:classification; D013057:Spectrum Analysis
chemical_list: D008543:Melanins
keywords: melanin analysis; melanin isolation; melanin spectral characterization; melanin synthesis; melanogenesis enzymes; method standardization