Geranylgeranylacetone inhibits melanin synthesis via ERK activation in Mel-Ab cells

Geranylgeranylacetone (GGA) has shown cytoprotective activity through induction of a 70-kDa heat shock protein (HSP70). Although HSP70 is reported to regulate melanogenesis, the effects of GGA on melanin synthesis in melanocytes have not been previously studied. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of GGA on melanogenesis and the related signaling pathways.

Melanin content and tyrosinase activities were measured in Mel-Ab cells. GGA-induced signal transduction pathways were investigated by western blot analysis.

Our results showed that GGA significantly decreased melanin content in a concentration-dependent manner. Similarly, GGA reduced tyrosinase activity dose-dependently, but it did not directly inhibit tyrosinase. Western blot analysis indicated that GGA downregulated microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) and tyrosinase protein expression, whereas it increased the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). Furthermore, a specific ERK pathway inhibitor, PD98059, blocked GGA-induced melanin reduction and then prevented downregulation of MITF and tyrosinase by GGA. However, a specific mTOR inhibitor, rapamycin, only slightly restored inhibition of melanin production by GGA, indicating that mTOR signaling is not a key mechanism regulating the inhibition of melanin production.

These findings suggest that activation of ERK by GGA reduces melanin synthesis in Mel-Ab cells through downregulation of MITF and tyrosinase expression.