title: Melanosome transfer to keratinocyte in the chicken embryonic skin is mediated by vesicle release associated with Rho-regulated membrane blebbing.
abstract: During skin pigmentation in amniotes, melanin synthesized in the melanocyte is transferred to keratinocytes by a particle called the melanosome. Previous studies, mostly using dissociated cultured cells, have proposed several different models that explain how the melanosome transfer is achieved. Here, using a technique that labels the plasma membrane of melanocytes within a three-dimensional system that mimics natural tissues, we have visualized the plasma membrane of melanocytes with EGFP in chicken embryonic skin. Confocal time-lapse microscopy reveals that the melanosome transfer is mediated, at least in part, by vesicles produced by plasma membrane. Unexpectedly, the vesicle release is accompanied by the membrane blebbing of melanocytes. Blebs that have encapsulated a melanosome are pinched off to become vesicles, and these melanosome-containing vesicles are finally engulfed by neighboring keratinocytes. For both the membrane blebbing and vesicle release, Rho small GTPase is essential. We further show that the membrane vesicle-mediated melanosome transfer plays a significant role in the skin pigmentation. Given that the skin pigmentation in inter-feather spaces in chickens is similar to that in inter-hair spaces of humans, our findings should have important consequences in cosmetic medicine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan.
authors.forename: Ryosuke
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tadokoro
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan.|Graduate School of Biological Sciences, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Takayama, Ikoma, Nara, 630-0192, Japan.
authors.forename: Hidetaka
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Murai
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Biological Sciences, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Takayama, Ikoma, Nara, 630-0192, Japan.
authors.forename: Ken-Ichiro
authors.initials: KI
authors.lastname: Sakai
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Biological Sciences, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Takayama, Ikoma, Nara, 630-0192, Japan.
authors.forename: Takahiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okui
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Biological Sciences, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Takayama, Ikoma, Nara, 630-0192, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasuhiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yokota
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan.|AMED Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology (AMED-CREST), Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED), Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0004, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takahashi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D030161:Avian Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D001692:Biological Transport; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002642:Chick Embryo; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D015603:Keratinocytes / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008543:Melanins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D008544:Melanocytes / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D020460:Melanosomes / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012880:Skin Pigmentation / Q000235:genetics; D059008:Time-Lapse Imaging; D022161:Transport Vesicles / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D020742:rhoA GTP-Binding Protein / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D030161:Avian Proteins; D008543:Melanins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; C485184:enhanced green fluorescent protein; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D020742:rhoA GTP-Binding Protein