Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 16, 2025

Spatial and Temporal Control of Murine Melanoma Initiation from Mutant Melanocyte Stem Cells
Published on: June 7, 2019
Syntenin regulates melanogenesis via the p38 MAPK pathway
Lijun Sun1, Chunyan Guo1, Liting Yan1
1Central Laboratory of Shaanxi Provincial People's Hospital, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710068, P.R. China.
Abstract:
Melanogenesis is the synthesis of the skin pigment melanin, which serves a critical role in the study of pigmentary skin diseases. Syntenin has been identified as a melanosome protein, but its role in melanogenesis is not completely understood. The present study aimed to investigate the effects and mechanisms underlying syntenin on melanogenesis in immortalized human melanocytes. Depletion of syntenin expression increased both tyrosinase (Tyr) activity and melanin content. Syntenin silencing also increased the protein expression levels of Tyr, pre‑melanosomal protein and microphthalmia‑associated transcription factor. In addition, the results indicated that syntenin regulated melanogenesis by upregulating the phosphorylation of p38 mitogen‑activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK). Taken together, these findings suggested that the regulation of melanogenesis by syntenin may be mediated by the activation of p38 MAPK and that syntenin might provide new insights into the pathogenesis of pigmented diseases.
Related Concept Videos
MAPK Signaling Cascades
Interactions Between Signaling Pathways
Convergence and divergence, and cross-talk between signaling pathways
Two distinct signaling pathways can converge on a single functional unit, which may either be a single protein or a complex of proteins. The response is either functionally distinct or synergistic between the two pathways but different from the response...
Pigmentation
Melanin occurs in two primary forms: eumelanin that provides black and brown pigment and pheomelanin that provides red color. Dark-skinned individuals produce more melanin than those with pale...
The JAK-STAT Signaling Pathway
PI3K/mTOR/AKT Signaling Pathway
Abnormal Proliferation

