Heat treatment decreases melanin synthesis via protein phosphatase 2A inactivation.

Abstract	In the present study, we investigated the effects of heat treatment on melanogenesis in a mouse melanocyte cell line (Mel-Ab). It has been reported that activated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) is responsible for microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) degradation, which leads to a reduction in tyrosinase protein production and melanin synthesis. Here we demonstrate that heat treatment induces sustained ERK activation, which may inhibit melanogenesis. However, the specific ERK pathway inhibitors, PD98059 or U0126 did not restore heat-induced hypopigmentation. Furthermore, PD98059 or U0126 hardly blocked the heat-induced activation of ERK. These results suggest that heat treatment may inactivate protein phosphatase, and thus ERK activation is maintained. To support this hypothesis, we examined the effects of heat treatment on protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) activity. The results obtained show that heat treatment inactivates PP2A, which may subsequently cause ERK activation and that heat treatment inhibits MITF promoter activity. Overall, our results demonstrate that heat treatment reduces melanin production in a temperature-dependent manner.
Authors	Dong-Seok Kim, Seo-Hyoung Park, Sun-Bang Kwon, Sang-Woong Youn, Eun-Sang Park, Kyoung-Chan Park
Journal	Cellular signalling (Cell Signal) Vol. 17 Issue 8 Pg. 1023-31 (Aug 2005) ISSN: 0898-6568 [Print] England
PMID	15894174 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
Chemical References	Butadienes DNA-Binding Proteins Enzyme Inhibitors Flavonoids Melanins Microphthalmia-Associated Transcription Factor Mitf protein, mouse Nitriles Transcription Factors U 0126 Luciferases Monophenol Monooxygenase Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases Phosphoprotein Phosphatases Protein Phosphatase 2 Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases 2-(2-amino-3-methoxyphenyl)-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one
Topics	Animals Blotting, Western Butadienes (pharmacology) Cell Line Cell Survival DNA-Binding Proteins (metabolism) Enzyme Activation Enzyme Inhibitors (pharmacology) Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases (metabolism) Flavonoids (pharmacology) Hot Temperature Luciferases (metabolism) Melanins (biosynthesis) Melanocytes (enzymology, metabolism) Mice Microphthalmia-Associated Transcription Factor Monophenol Monooxygenase (metabolism) Nitriles (pharmacology) Phosphoprotein Phosphatases (antagonists & inhibitors, metabolism) Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases (metabolism) Promoter Regions, Genetic Protein Phosphatase 2 Temperature Transcription Factors (metabolism) Transfection

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