Abstract
Melanocytes make up only a tiny proportion of the skin cellular milieu but have a major impact on skin appearance as well as skin cancer risk by modulating skin pigmentation. Cutaneous melanocytes are derived from precursor cells called melanoblasts that originate from the neural crest of the developing embryo and migrate for long distances to their niches in the epidermis and hair follicles, where they differentiate into melanin pigment-producing mini-factories. Melanin is synthesized and packaged within melanosomes, which are lysosome-related organelles responsible for melanin trafficking through dendrites to interacting keratinocytes. Melanocyte development, migration, proliferation, and differentiation are regulated by a complex network of extrinsic and intrinsic signaling pathways, which are responsive to key signals, such as ultraviolet radiation that stimulates melanin production (tanning). Alterations in components of these pathways may lead to melanomagenesis. Here we present an overview of the genes and pathways that regulate different aspects of the biology of melanocytes as well as their transformation to melanoma.
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Acknowledgments
This chapter has been updated from the previous edition, which was written by Drs. Glenn Merlino and Vince Hearing. Because of space limitations, we have relied heavily on the citation of many review articles and therefore apologize to the authors of numerous significant primary papers we were unable to reference. M.R.Z. acknowledges research support from the National Institutes of Health (K22CA163799 and R01CA193711), US Department of Defense (CA150492), Melanoma Research Foundation, and W.W. Smith Charitable Trust. D.E.F. acknowledges research support from the National Institutes of Health (5P01 CA163222, 1R01CA222871, R01AR072304, and 5R01 AR043369-22), the Melanoma Research Alliance, and the Dr. Miriam and Sheldon G. Adelson Medical Research Foundation. D.E.F. has a financial interest in Soltego, Inc., a company developing SIK inhibitors for topical skin-darkening treatments.
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Zaidi, M.R., Fisher, D.E., Rizos, H. (2020). Biology of Melanocytes and Primary Melanoma. In: Balch, C., et al. Cutaneous Melanoma. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-05070-2_42
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-05070-2_42
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