Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Biochemical and histochemical activities of tyrosinase in the skins of normal and albino turbot scophthalmus maximus

Fish Physiology and Biochemistry volume 29, pages 67–76 (2003)Cite this article

Abstract

Albinism occurr frequently in hatchery-reared turbot, particularly in China. To elucidatethe mechanism of albinism, we comparedthe biochemical and histochemical activity of tyrosinase inthe skins of normal and albino turbot using substrate L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-dopa). It was foundthat: (1) tyrosinase activity existed in allthe skin extracts tested, including pigmented and non-pigmented skins from ocular or blind side of normal and albino turbot, andthe tyrosinase activity ofthe ocular skin extracts was significantly higherthanthat ofthe blind skin extracts from a single individual for both normal and albino turbot. Unexpectedly,the tyrosinase activity inthe extracts from albino skin ofthe ocular side of albino turbot (termed AOA skin) was about 56% higherthanthat from pigmented skin ofthe ocular side of normal turbot (termed PON skin); (2) histochemical staining showedthat tyrosinase activity was present only inthe PON skin but not inthe AOA skin, andthe white skin ofthe blind side of albino (termed WBA skin) and normal turbot (termed WBN skin). A large amount of positive black granules was formed inthe epidermal cells of PON skin but no black granules were formed inthe skins of AOA, WBA and WBN; (3) temperature and salinity have similar effects onthe tyrosinase activity of ocular pigmented and of albino skin extracts, andthe optimal temperature was 55∼60 °C and optimal salinity 26‰; however, different pH values had different effects onthese tyrosinase activities, andthe optimal pH value of ocular pigmented skin extracts was 7.0 and ocular albino skin extracts 8.0; allthethree activators tested (SDS, trypsin and zymosan) can increasethe activity of tyrosinase in both ocular pigmented and albino skin extracts of turbot. Butthe level of activation onthe ocular albino skin extracts of albino turbot was significantly higherthanthat on ocular pigmented skin extracts of normal turbot.

Onthe basis ofthese observations, it is suggestedthat a large amount of wild type tyrosinase is expressed in albino skin butthe tyrosinase activity is blocked by some unknown inhibitory factors andthe blocked activity of tyrosinase can be readily recovered bythe homogenization of skin tissues in vitro.the unknown inhibitory factors need further studying.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

USD 39.95

Price includes VAT (Canada)

References

  • Astarloa, J.M.D.D. 1995. Ambicoloration in two flounders, Paralichthys patagonicus and Xystreuris rasile. Journal of Fish Biology 47: 168–170.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bolker, J.A. and Hill, C.R. 2000. Pigmentation development in hatchery-reared flatfishes. Journal of Fish Biology 56(5): 1029–1052.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen, Y.M. and Chavin, W. 1967. Comparative biochemical aspects of integumental and tumor tyrosinase activity in vertebrate melanogenesis. In: Montagna, W., Hu, F. (Eds.),the pigmentary system. Pergamon, Oxford pp. 253–268.

  • Denson, M.R. and Smith, T.I.J. 1997. Diet and light intensity effects on survival, growth and pigmentation of southern flounder Paralichthys lethostigma. Journal of World Aquaculture Society 28(4): 366–373.

    Google Scholar 

  • Devresse, B., Leger, P., Sorgeloos, P., Murata, O., Nasu, T., Ikeda, S., Rainuzzo, J., Reitan, K., Kjorsvik, E. and Olsen, Y. 1994. Improvement of flatfish pigmentationthroughthe use of DHAenriched rotifers and Artemia. Aquaculture 124(1-4): 287–288.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ellis, T., Howell, B.R. and Hughes, R.N. 1997.the cryptic response of hatchery-reared sole to a natural sand substratum. Journal of Fish Biology 51: 389–401.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Estevez, A. and Kanazawa, A. 1995. Effect of (n-3) PUFA and vitamin A enrichment on pigmentation success of turbot, Scophthalmusmaximus(L.). Aquaculture Nutrition (United Kingdom) 1(3): 159–168.

    Google Scholar 

  • Estevez, A., McEvoy, L.A., Bell, J.G. and Sargent, J.R. 1999. Growth, survival, lipid composition and pigmentation of turbot (Scophthalmusmaximus) larvae fed live-prey enriched in arachidonic and eicosapentaenoic acids. Aquaculture 180(3/4): 321–343.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fu, L., Mambrini, M., Perrot, E. and Chourrout, D. 2000. Stable and full rescue ofthe pigmentation in a medaka albino mutant by transfer of a 17 kb genomic clone containingthe medaka tyrosinase gene. Gene 241: 205–211.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fukusho, K., Nanba, H., Yamamoto, T., Yamasaki, Y., Lee, M., Seika, T. and Wantanabe, T. 1987. Reduction of albinism in juvenile flounder Paralichthys olivaceushatchery-reared on fertilized eggs of red sea bream Pagrus majorand its critical stage forthe effective feeding. Aquaculture 12: 1–7.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hishida T., Tomita, H. and Yamamoto, T. 1961. Melanin formation in color varieties ofthe medaka (Oryzias latipes). Embryologia 5: 335–346.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hyodo-Taguchi, Y., Winkler, C., Kurihara, Y., Schartl, A. and Schartl, M. 1997. Phenotypic rescue ofthe albino mutation inthe medakafish (Oryzias latipes) by a mouse tyrosinase transgene. Mechanism of Development 68: 27–35.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Iwata, N. and Kikuchi, K. 1998. Effects of sandy substrate and light on hypermelanosis ofthe blind side in cultured Japanese flounder Paralichthys olivaceus. Environmental Biology of Fishes 52: 291–297.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kajishima, T. and Takeuchi, I.K. 1977. Ultrastructural analysis of gene interaction and melanosome differentiation inthe retinal pigment cells ofthe albino goldfish. Journal of Experimental Zoology 200(3): 349–357.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kanazawa, A. 1993. Nutritional mechanisms involved inthe occurrence of abnormal pigmentation in hatchery-reared flatfish. Journal of World Aquaculture Society 24(2): 162–166.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kawakami, K., Koga, A., Hori, H. and Shima, A. 1998. Excision ofthe Tol2transposable element ofthemedaka fish, Oryzias latipes, in zebrafish, Danio rerio. Gene 225: 17–22.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kelsh, R.N., Schmid, B. and Eisen, J.S. 2000. Genetic analysis of melanophore development in zebrafish embryos. Developmental Biology 225: 277–293.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kim, K., Tchen, T. and Hu, F. 1961. Studies of ACTH-induced melanocyte formation: effect of colchicine. Esptl. Cell Res. 25: 454–457.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kong, K.H., Park, S.Y., Hong, M.P. and Cho, S.H. 2000. Expression and characterization of human tyrosinase from a bacterial expression system. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part B 125: 563–569.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lowry, O.H., Rosenbrough, N.J., Farr, A.L. and Randall, R.J. 1951. Protein measurement withthe Folin phenol reagent. Journal of Biological Chemistry 193: 265–275.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Miura, I., Okumoto, H., Makino, K., Nakata, A. and Nismoka, M. 1995. Analysis ofthe tyrosinase gene ofthe Japanese pond frog, Rana nigromaculata: cloning and nucleotide sequence ofthe genomic DNA containingthe tyrosinase gene and its flanking regions. Japanese Journal of Genetics 70(1): 79–72.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nakamura K., Ozaki, A., Akutsu, T., Iwai, K., Sakamoto, T., Yoshizaki, G. and Okamoto, N. 2001. Genetic mapping ofthe dominant albino locus in rainbow (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Molecular Genetic Genomics 265(4): 687–693.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Potterf, S.B., Furumura, M., S viderskaya, E.V., Santis, C., Bennett, D.C. and Hearing, V.J. 1998. Normal tyrosine transport and abnormal tyrosinase routing in pink-eyed dilution melanocytes. Experimental Cell Research 244: 319–326.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Potterf, S.B, Muller, J., Bernardini, I., Tietze, F., Kobayashi, T., Hearing, V.J. and Gahl, W.A. 1996. Characterization of a melanosomal transport system in murine melanocytes mediating entry ofthe melanogenic substrate tyrosinase. Journal of Biological Chemistry 271: 4002–4008.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Seikai, T. 1985. Reduction in occurrence frequency of albinism in juvenile flounder Paralichthys olivaceushatchery-reared on wild zooplankton. Bulletin ofthe Japanese Society of Scientific Fisheries 51 (8): 1261–1267.

    Google Scholar 

  • Seikai, T. and Matsumoto, J. 1994. Mechanism of pseudoalbinism in flatfish: an association between pigment cell and skin differentiation. Journal of World Aquaculture Sciety 25 (1): 78–85.

    Google Scholar 

  • Seikai, T., Matsumoto, J., Shimozaki, M., Oikawa, A. and Akiyama, T. 1987. An association of melanophores appearing at metamorphosis as vehicles of asymmetric skin color formation with pigment anomalies developed under hatchery conditions inthe Japanese flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus. Pigment Cell Research 1(3): 143–151.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Spitz, L.M. and Burnett, J.B. 1968.the tyrosinases of Fundulus heteroclitusat different stages of embryonic development. J. Embryol. Exp. Morphol. 19: 1–8.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tamate, H.B., Kuzumaki, T., Suzuki, J.I. and Ishikawa, K. 1985. Immunological quantitation of tyrosinase from wild-type and albino mutant mice. FEBS Letters 183(2): 279–282.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tomita, H. and Hishida, T. 1961. Onthe phenol oxidase of embryonic and larval stages ofthe medaka, Oryzias latipes. Embryologia 5: 423–439.

    Google Scholar 

  • Toyofuku, K., Wada, I., Spritz, R.A. and Hearing, V.J. 2001.the molecular basis of oculocutaneous albinism type 1(OCA1): sorting failure and degradation of mutant tyrosinases results in a lack of pigmentation. Biochemistry Journal 355: 259–269.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Venizelos, A. and Benetti, D.D. 1999. Pigment abnormalities in flatfish. Aquaculture 176: 181–188.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang, H.S. 1997. Effects of salinity on growth, survival rate and albinism rate ofthe larval and juveniles of flounder Paralichthys olivaceus.Oceanologia Et Limnologia Sinica 28(4): 399–405.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, S.C. and Li, G.R. 2000. Presence of phenoloxidase and prophenoloxidase in epidermal cells andthe epidermis mucus ofthe lancelet Branchiostoma belcheri tsingtauense. OPHELIA 52 (3): 207–212.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhu, J., Zhang, X.M., Gao, T.X., Liu, G.D. and Yang, Y.W. 2002.the early metamorphosis of turbot Scophthalmusmaximusand morphological observation on melanophores in larval skin. Journal of Fisheries of China 26(3): 193–200.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Marine Life Science, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, P.R. China

    Huarong Guo, Bing Huang, Shicui Zhang & Fei Qi

Authors
  1. Huarong Guo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Bing Huang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Shicui Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Fei Qi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Guo, H., Huang, B., Zhang, S. et al. Biochemical and histochemical activities of tyrosinase in the skins of normal and albino turbot scophthalmus maximus . Fish Physiology and Biochemistry 29, 67–76 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:FISH.0000035901.74653.f4

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:FISH.0000035901.74653.f4

  • albinism
  • l-dopa
  • Scophthalmusmaximus
  • skin
  • turbot
  • tyrosinase

Search

Navigation