Melanocytes

This computer drawing models a dermal melanocyte and its dendrites. Credit: BruceBlaus.

Melanocytes are ink cells, from the Greek μέλανo-ink, or black ink and χυτός-cast, for cell.

Genetics

This is a white, null mouse that has been knocked-out for tyrosinase. Credit: The Jackson Laboratory.

In humans, a melanogenic enzyme, tyrosinase, is produced by the gene, GeneID: 7299. Actually, this gene produces a precursor to the enzyme. The precursor is activated once inside a closed melanosome.

"The enzyme [EC 1.14.18.1] encoded by this gene [GeneID: 7299] catalyzes the first 2 steps, and at least 1 subsequent step, in the conversion of tyrosine to melanin. The enzyme has both tyrosine hydroxylase and dopa oxidase catalytic activities, and requires copper for function."[1]

Theoretical melanocytes

A melanocyte is a cell containing the pigment melanin, which has several forms. A cell which yields or produces melanin, or one of its forms, may be called a melanoparagocyte, where parag- or parago- is from παραγ-yield or produce, or παραγο-producing.

Visuals

The image shows a melanophore. Credit: Alexander Molchanov.
The dark appearance of the dorsal side of the male bitterling Rhodeus amarus is caused by a dispersal of melanosomes in simulate the dark bottom of the fish tank. Credit: Viridiflavus.

Def. a "cell containing melanin or other black pigment, such as are found in fish, amphibians, and reptiles"[2] is called a melanophore.

The image at the right shows a melanophore containing melanosomes (A), dispersed melanophores (B), fluorescent undispersed melanophores (C), and fluorescent dispersed melanophores (D).

The melanosomes have been dispersed out into the cells dendrites.

As an example, the image at the left shows a male bitterling Rhodeus amarus where the dark appearance of its dorsal surface is produced by a dispersal of melanosomes to simulate the dark bottom of the fish tank.

Research

Hypotheses:

  1. Each location of a melanocyte has a genetically unique melanocyte.
  2. Melanoblasts can be signaled to divide with daughter cells migrating to locations formerly occupied by melaoncytes, e.g. dermal matrix.

Control groups

This is an image of a Lewis rat. Credit: Charles River Laboratories.

The findings demonstrate a statistically systematic change from the status quo or the control group.

“In the design of experiments, treatments [or special properties or characteristics] are applied to [or observed in] experimental units in the treatment group(s).[3] In comparative experiments, members of the complementary group, the control group, receive either no treatment or a standard treatment.[4]"[5]

Proof of concept

Def. a “short and/or incomplete realization of a certain method or idea to demonstrate its feasibility"[6] is called a proof of concept.

Def. evidence that demonstrates that a concept is possible is called proof of concept.

The proof-of-concept structure consists of

  1. background,
  2. procedures,
  3. findings, and
  4. interpretation.[7]

See also

References

  1. ↑ NCBI (12 June 2014). "TYR tyrosinase [ Homo sapiens (human) ]". Bethesda, Maryland USA: National Institutes of Health. Retrieved 2014-07-08.
  2. ↑ Visviva (27 November 2008). "melanophore, In: Wiktionary". San Francisco, California: Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Retrieved 2014-07-08.
  3. ↑ Klaus Hinkelmann, Oscar Kempthorne (2008). Design and Analysis of Experiments, Volume I: Introduction to Experimental Design (2nd ed.). Wiley. ISBN 978-0-471-72756-9. http://books.google.com/?id=T3wWj2kVYZgC&printsec=frontcover.
  4. ↑ R. A. Bailey (2008). Design of comparative experiments. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-68357-9. http://www.cambridge.org/uk/catalogue/catalogue.asp?isbn=9780521683579.
  5. ↑ "Treatment and control groups, In: Wikipedia". San Francisco, California: Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. May 18, 2012. Retrieved 2012-05-31.
  6. ↑ "proof of concept, In: Wiktionary". San Francisco, California: Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. November 10, 2012. Retrieved 2013-01-13.
  7. ↑ Ginger Lehrman and Ian B Hogue, Sarah Palmer, Cheryl Jennings, Celsa A Spina, Ann Wiegand, Alan L Landay, Robert W Coombs, Douglas D Richman, John W Mellors, John M Coffin, Ronald J Bosch, David M Margolis (August 13, 2005). "Depletion of latent HIV-1 infection in vivo: a proof-of-concept study". Lancet 366 (9485): 549-55. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(05)67098-5. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1894952/. Retrieved 2012-05-09.

External links

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