Sorting and targeting of melanosomal membrane proteins: signals, pathways, and mechanisms

Newly synthesized melanosomal proteins, like many other cellular proteins, traverse through a series of intracellular compartments en route to melanosomes. Entry and exit of proteins through these compartments is orchestrated by cellular sorting machinery that recognize specific sorting signals. Melanosomal membrane proteins begin their intracellular journey upon co-translational importation into the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). The biosynthetic output of tyrosinase, the key melanogenic enzyme, appears to be regulated by quality-control events at the ER, the 'port of entry' to the secretory pathway. Following maturation in the ER and through the Golgi, the sorting of these proteins in the trans-Golgi network for intracellular retention and transport along endosome/lysosome pathway requires cytoplasmically exposed signals. A di-leucine motif, present in the cytoplasmic tails of most melanosomal proteins, and its interaction with adaptor protein (AP) complexes, specifically AP-3, are critical for these events. Defects in sorting signals and the cytosolic components that interact with these signals result in a number of murine coat color phenotypes and cause human pigmentary disorders. Thus, missense or frame-shift mutations that produce truncated tyrosinase lacking the melanosomal sorting signal(s) appear to be responsible for murine platinum coat color phenotypes and a proportion of human oculocutaneous albinism-1; mutations in AP-3 appear to be responsible for the mocha phenotype in mice and Hermansky-Pudlak-like syndrome in man. Additional signals and sorting steps downstream of AP-3 appear to be required for endosomal sorting and targeting proteins to melanosomes. Signals and mechanisms that sequester melanosomal proteins from endosomes/lysosomes are not understood. Potential candidates that mediate such processes include proteins encoded by lyst and pallid genes. The common occurrence of abnormalities in melanosomes in many storage-pool disorders suggests that melanocytes utilize signals, pathways, and mechanisms shared by other proteins and cell types to assemble a number of specialized proteins and produce unique cell-type-specific organelles.