Involvement of dynein and spectrin with early melanosome transport and melanosomal protein trafficking.

ABSTRACT: Melanosomes are unique membrane-bound organelles specialized for the synthesis and distribution of melanin. Mechanisms involved in the trafficking of proteins to melanosomes and in the transport of mature pigmented melanosomes to the dendrites of melanocytic cells are being characterized, but details about those processes during early stages of melanosome maturation are not well understood. Early melanosomes must remain in the perinuclear area until critical components are assembled. In this study, we characterized the processing of two distinct melanosomal proteins, tyrosinase (TYR) and Pmel17, to elucidate protein processing in early or late steps of the secretory pathway, respectively, and to determine mechanisms underlying the subcellular localization and transport of early melanosomes

SUBMITTER: Watabe H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2167631 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature