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Production of melanin pigments by cytochrome c/H2O2 system
M A Rosei1, C Blarzino, R Coccia
1Department of Biochemical Sciences A. Rossi Fanelli, University La Sapienza of Rome, Italy. marosei@axrma.uniroma1.it
The International Journal of Biochemistry & Cell Biology
|July 24, 1998
Abstract:
In the presence of hydrogen peroxide cytochrome c can perform the oxidation of catecholamines and their S-cysteinyl-derivatives yielding melanins as final products. The initial reaction rate is linearly dependent on cytochrome c and H2O2 concentration; the reaction follows the Michaelis and Menten kinetics both for H2O2 and hydrogen donors. Sulfhydryl compounds inhibit the formation of the pigment. The reported data indicate that a heme-containing protein belonging to the mitochondrial chain can accelerate the oxidation of catecholamines to eumelanins.