title: Meningeal Melanocytes in the Mouse: Distribution and Dependence on Mitf.
abstract: CONCLUSIONS
  Melanocytes are pigment producing cells derived from the neural crest. They are primarily found in the skin and hair follicles, but can also be found in other tissues including the eye, ear and heart. Here, we describe the distribution of pigmented cells in C57BL/6J mouse meninges, the membranes that envelope the brain. These cells contain melanosomes of all four stages of development and they depend on Microphthalmia associated transcription factor (MITF), the master regulator of melanocyte development, suggesting that they are bona-fide melanocytes. The location of these pigmented cells is consistent with the location of meningeal melanomas in humans and animal models.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Here, we document and define pigmented cells in the meninges of the mouse brain and confirm that they are melanocytes. This is important for understanding the role of this cell type and for understanding primary meningeal melanoma, a rare disease that likely arises from normal meningeal melanocytes.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Department of Anatomy, Biomedical Center, University of Iceland Reykjavik, Iceland ; Faculty of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biomedical Center, University of Iceland Reykjavik, Iceland.
authors.forename: Stefán A H
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Gudjohnsen
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Department of Anatomy, Biomedical Center, University of Iceland Reykjavik, Iceland ; Faculty of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biomedical Center, University of Iceland Reykjavik, Iceland.
authors.forename: Diahann A M
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Atacho
authors.affiliation: Institut Curie, PSL Research University, INSERM U1021, Normal and Pathological Development of Melanocytes Orsay, France ; Université Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS UMR 3347 Orsay, France ; Equipe Labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer Orsay, France.
authors.forename: Franck
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gesbert
authors.affiliation: Institut Curie, PSL Research University Paris, France ; CNRS UMR144, Structure and Membrane Compartments, and Cell and Tissue Imaging Facility (PICT-IBiSA) Paris, France.
authors.forename: Graca
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Raposo
authors.affiliation: Institut Curie, PSL Research University Paris, France ; CNRS UMR144, Structure and Membrane Compartments, and Cell and Tissue Imaging Facility (PICT-IBiSA) Paris, France.
authors.forename: Ilse
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hurbain
authors.affiliation: Institut Curie, PSL Research University, INSERM U1021, Normal and Pathological Development of Melanocytes Orsay, France ; Université Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS UMR 3347 Orsay, France ; Equipe Labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer Orsay, France.
authors.forename: Lionel
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Larue
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biomedical Center, University of Iceland Reykjavik, Iceland.
authors.forename: Eirikur
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Steingrimsson
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Department of Anatomy, Biomedical Center, University of Iceland Reykjavik, Iceland.
authors.forename: Petur Henry
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Petersen
keywords: Mitf; melanocytes; meningeal melanoma; meninges; mouse