Genome-wide transcriptome analysis of human epidermal melanocytes.

ABSTRACT: Because human epidermal melanocytes (HEMs) provide critical protection against skin cancer, sunburn, and photoaging, a genome-wide perspective of gene expression in these cells is vital to understanding human skin physiology. In this study we performed high throughput sequencing of HEMs to obtain a complete data set of transcript sizes, abundances, and splicing. As expected, we found that melanocyte specific genes that function in pigmentation were among the highest expressed genes. We analyzed receptor, ion channel and transcription factor gene families to get a better understanding of the cell signaling pathways used by melanocytes. We also performed a comparative transcriptomic analysis of lightly versus darkly pigmented HEMs and found 16 genes differentially expressed in the two pigmen

SUBMITTER: Haltaufderhyde KD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4594949 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature