TY - JOUR
T1 - p38 regulates pigmentation via proteasomal degradation of tyrosinase
AU - Bellei, Barbara
AU - Maresca, Vittoria
AU - Flori, Enrica
AU - Pitisci, Angela
AU - Larue, Lionel
AU - Picardo, Mauro
PY - 2010/3/5
Y1 - 2010/3/5
N2 - The synthesis of melanin pigments, or melanogenesis, is regulated by the balance of a variety of signal transduction pathways. Among these pathways, p38 MAPK signaling was found to be involved in stress-induced melanogenesis and to be activated byα-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) and ultraviolet irradiation. Previous studies have shown that α-MSH-stimulated melanogenesis can be inhibited by blocking p38 MAPK activity with SB203580, a pyridinyl imidazole compound. Consistent with this, we observed that pyridinyl imidazoles (SB203580 and SB202190) inhibited both basal and α-MSH-induced melanogenesis in B16 melanoma cells. However, SB202474, which has no ability to inhibit p38 MAPK activity and is usually used as a negative control compound in p38 MAPK studies, also suppressed melanin synthesis induction. Furthermore, the independence of the p38 kinase pathway from the repression of melanogenesis by pyridinyl imidazole compounds was also confirmed by small interfering RNA experiments. Interfering with p38 MAPK expression surprisingly stimulated melanogenesis and tyrosinase family protein expression. Although the molecular mechanism(s) by which p38 promotes the degradation of melanogenic enzymes remain to be determined, the involvement of the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway was demonstrated by co-treatment with the proteasomespecific inhibitor MG132 and the relative decrease in the ubiquitination of tyrosinase in cells transfected with p38-specific small interfering RNA.
AB - The synthesis of melanin pigments, or melanogenesis, is regulated by the balance of a variety of signal transduction pathways. Among these pathways, p38 MAPK signaling was found to be involved in stress-induced melanogenesis and to be activated byα-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) and ultraviolet irradiation. Previous studies have shown that α-MSH-stimulated melanogenesis can be inhibited by blocking p38 MAPK activity with SB203580, a pyridinyl imidazole compound. Consistent with this, we observed that pyridinyl imidazoles (SB203580 and SB202190) inhibited both basal and α-MSH-induced melanogenesis in B16 melanoma cells. However, SB202474, which has no ability to inhibit p38 MAPK activity and is usually used as a negative control compound in p38 MAPK studies, also suppressed melanin synthesis induction. Furthermore, the independence of the p38 kinase pathway from the repression of melanogenesis by pyridinyl imidazole compounds was also confirmed by small interfering RNA experiments. Interfering with p38 MAPK expression surprisingly stimulated melanogenesis and tyrosinase family protein expression. Although the molecular mechanism(s) by which p38 promotes the degradation of melanogenic enzymes remain to be determined, the involvement of the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway was demonstrated by co-treatment with the proteasomespecific inhibitor MG132 and the relative decrease in the ubiquitination of tyrosinase in cells transfected with p38-specific small interfering RNA.
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U2 - 10.1074/jbc.M109.070573
DO - 10.1074/jbc.M109.070573
M3 - Article
C2 - 20053998
AN - SCOPUS:77951214780
VL - 285
SP - 7288
EP - 7299
JO - Journal of Biological Chemistry
JF - Journal of Biological Chemistry
SN - 0021-9258
IS - 10
ER -