What is the function of melanin?
How can you measure melanin content?
Analyze the distribution and motility of melanin granules with Nanolive cell imaging
Here, we imaged epithelial cells every 2 secs for 9 mins. The small, bright ovoid spots in the cell’s cytosol are melanin granules. Several observations can be made in the video:
- Melanin granules are present throughout the cell but tend to cluster around the cell’s nucleus.
- The granules are highly mobile and can travel in both directions.
- Movements occur at variable speeds.
The last two observations agree with findings made using a live-cell fluorescent melanosomal marker (4).
What’s next?
Bibliography
[1] Hu DN. 2008. Methodology for evaluation of melanin content and production of pigment cells in vitro. Photochem. Photobiol. 84(3):645-9.
[2] Wakamatsu K, Ito S. 2002. Advanced chemical methods in melanin determination. Pigment Cell Res. 15(3):174-83.
[3] Chung S, Lim GJ, Lee JY. 2019. Quantitative analysis of melanin content in a three-dimensional melanoma cell culture. Sci. Rep. 28;9(1):1-9.
[4] Bruder JM, Pfeiffer ZA, Ciriello JM, Horrigan DM, Wicks NL, Flaherty B, Oancea E. 2012. Melanosomal dynamics assessed with a live-cell fluorescent melanosomal marker. PLoS One. 22;7(8):e43465.
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