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Investigations on tyrosinase and a tyrosinase related protein

Wittbjer Lindell, Anna (1996)
Abstract
Tyrosinase and tyrosinase-related protein-1 are enzymes involved in melanin synthesis and specific to the melanocyte and the melanoma cell. In the studies upon which this thesis is based, these enzymes were investigated in normal melanocytes, cultured human melanoma cells and transfected mouse fibroblasts. Tyrosinase was isolated from cultured melanoma cells and from bovine eye preparations, and the respective N-terminal amino acid sequences determined. The signal peptide for tyrosinase was defined by comparison of the N-terminal amino acid sequence determined by us and the nucleotide sequence for the tyrosinase gene. Exposure of melanoma cells to enzymes generating active oxygen species (oxygen radicals and hydrogen peroxide), resulted in... (More)
Tyrosinase and tyrosinase-related protein-1 are enzymes involved in melanin synthesis and specific to the melanocyte and the melanoma cell. In the studies upon which this thesis is based, these enzymes were investigated in normal melanocytes, cultured human melanoma cells and transfected mouse fibroblasts. Tyrosinase was isolated from cultured melanoma cells and from bovine eye preparations, and the respective N-terminal amino acid sequences determined. The signal peptide for tyrosinase was defined by comparison of the N-terminal amino acid sequence determined by us and the nucleotide sequence for the tyrosinase gene. Exposure of melanoma cells to enzymes generating active oxygen species (oxygen radicals and hydrogen peroxide), resulted in a dose-dependent increase in tyrosinase activity, an increase blocked by catalase but not by superoxide dismutase or desferrioxamine. Exposure of the cells to aminotriazole, a catalase inhibitor, also resulted in an increase in tyrosinase activity. In studies of the oxygenation of tyrosine by tyrosinase and by oxygen radicals, we found tyrosinase to have no intrinsic peroxidative function, and its oxygenase function to be exclusively specific to the L-isomer of tyrosine. Levels of tyrosinase activity in sera from melanoma patients were determined with a sensitive and stereospecific HPLC procedure, and an RIA was developed for measuring concentrations of tyrosinase protein. Tyrosinase, dopachrome tautomerase and melanin formation were investigated in transfected mouse fibroblasts; those transfected with the albino (c) locus gene expressed an enzyme with tyrosinase acivity, produced melanin precursors, and synthesized phaeomelanin, whereas those transfected with the brown (b) locus gene expressed an enzyme with dopachrome tautomerase activity. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
supervisor
opponent
  • Docent Larsson, Bengt, Department of Toxicology, Uppsala University, Sweden
publishing date
type
Thesis
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Physiology, enzymologi, Proteiner, dopachrome tautomerase, tyrosinase, TRP-1, melanin, melanocytes, melanoma cells, enzymology, Proteins, Fysiologi
pages
140 pages
publisher
Divison of Clinical Chemistry and Pharmacology
defense location
Department of Pharmacology
defense date
1996-03-22 10:15:00
external identifiers
  • other:ISRN: LUMEDW/MEFA--1030--SE
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
3cbc2136-b0b6-486a-884e-5e690599bdb3 (old id 28191)
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 10:53:40
date last changed
2018-11-21 21:01:25
@phdthesis{3cbc2136-b0b6-486a-884e-5e690599bdb3,
  abstract     = {{Tyrosinase and tyrosinase-related protein-1 are enzymes involved in melanin synthesis and specific to the melanocyte and the melanoma cell. In the studies upon which this thesis is based, these enzymes were investigated in normal melanocytes, cultured human melanoma cells and transfected mouse fibroblasts. Tyrosinase was isolated from cultured melanoma cells and from bovine eye preparations, and the respective N-terminal amino acid sequences determined. The signal peptide for tyrosinase was defined by comparison of the N-terminal amino acid sequence determined by us and the nucleotide sequence for the tyrosinase gene. Exposure of melanoma cells to enzymes generating active oxygen species (oxygen radicals and hydrogen peroxide), resulted in a dose-dependent increase in tyrosinase activity, an increase blocked by catalase but not by superoxide dismutase or desferrioxamine. Exposure of the cells to aminotriazole, a catalase inhibitor, also resulted in an increase in tyrosinase activity. In studies of the oxygenation of tyrosine by tyrosinase and by oxygen radicals, we found tyrosinase to have no intrinsic peroxidative function, and its oxygenase function to be exclusively specific to the L-isomer of tyrosine. Levels of tyrosinase activity in sera from melanoma patients were determined with a sensitive and stereospecific HPLC procedure, and an RIA was developed for measuring concentrations of tyrosinase protein. Tyrosinase, dopachrome tautomerase and melanin formation were investigated in transfected mouse fibroblasts; those transfected with the albino (c) locus gene expressed an enzyme with tyrosinase acivity, produced melanin precursors, and synthesized phaeomelanin, whereas those transfected with the brown (b) locus gene expressed an enzyme with dopachrome tautomerase activity.}},
  author       = {{Wittbjer Lindell, Anna}},
  keywords     = {{Physiology; enzymologi; Proteiner; dopachrome tautomerase; tyrosinase; TRP-1; melanin; melanocytes; melanoma cells; enzymology; Proteins; Fysiologi}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Divison of Clinical Chemistry and Pharmacology}},
  title        = {{Investigations on tyrosinase and a tyrosinase related protein}},
  year         = {{1996}},
}