title: Melanocytes in the skin--comparative whole transcriptome analysis of main skin cell types.
abstract: Melanocytes possess several functions besides a role in pigment synthesis, but detailed characteristics of the cells are still unclear. We used whole transcriptome sequencing (RNA-Seq) to assess differential gene expression of cultivated normal human melanocytes with respect to keratinocytes, fibroblasts and whole skin. The present results reveal cultivated melanocytes as highly proliferative cells with possible stem cell-like properties. The enhanced readiness to regenerate makes melanocytes the most vulnerable cells in the skin and explains their high risk of developing into malignant melanoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia.
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Reemann
authors.affiliation: Core Facility of Clinical Genomics, Department of Pathophysiology, Department of Biomedicine, Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia; The Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences of the Estonian University of Life Sciences, Competence Centre on Reproductive Medicine and Biology, Tartu, Estonia.
authors.forename: Ene
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Reimann
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, University of Tartu and Quretec Ltd (private limited company), Tartu, Estonia.
authors.forename: Sten
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ilmjärv
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Tallinn Children's Hospital, Tallinn, Estonia.
authors.forename: Orm
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Porosaar
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Dermatology, Tartu University Hospital, Department of Dermatology, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia.
authors.forename: Helgi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Silm
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia.
authors.forename: Viljar
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Jaks
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, University of Tartu and Centre of Translational Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia.
authors.forename: Eero
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vasar
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Dermatology, Tartu University Hospital, Department of Dermatology, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia.
authors.forename: Külli
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kingo
authors.affiliation: The Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences of the Estonian University of Life Sciences, Competence Centre on Reproductive Medicine and Biology, Tartu, Estonia; Department of Pathophysiology, Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, University of Tartu and Centre of Translational Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia.
authors.forename: Sulev
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kõks
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D063646:Carcinogenesis / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000378:metabolism; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006657:Histones / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007249:Inflammation / Q000378:metabolism; D015603:Keratinocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D008544:Melanocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000378:metabolism; D017423:Sequence Analysis, RNA; D012867:Skin / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D059467:Transcriptome / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D006657:Histones; D020033:Protein Isoforms