Lecture

Melanocytes and Hair Color Regulation

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In course

BIO-109: Introduction to life sciences (for IC)

Ce cours présente les principes fondamentaux à l'œuvre dans les organismes vivants. Autant que possible, l'accent est mis sur les contributions de l'Informatique aux progrès des Sciences de la Vie. ...

Description

This lecture explores the role of paracrine communication in hair bulb melanocytes, focusing on the production of eumelanin and pheomelanin. It delves into the influence of CAMP concentration on hair color, the function of 7 transmembrane domain receptors, and the impact of Mc4R mutations on food intake and obesity. The lecture also discusses the evolutionary significance of hair color switches and fur phenotypes in mice, highlighting the complex interplay of genetic mutations and signaling pathways in determining hair color and body weight regulation.

Instructor

Romain Zufferey

Teaching & PhD Courses Biology for engineers MSE-212 This course consists of an introduction to biology and more particularly to biology as a multidisciplinary field, emphasizing natural examples of materials engineering. It should therefore allow engineering students to find inspiration from biology in future materials research problems. Cellular biology and biochemistry for engineers BIO-105 Basic course in biochemistry as well as cellular and molecular biology for non-life

Official source

Ontological neighbourhood

Biology

Cell biology: Cell signaling

Related concepts (32)

Cell signaling

In biology, cell signaling (cell signalling in British English) or cell communication is the ability of a cell to receive, process, and transmit signals with its environment and with itself. Cell signaling is a fundamental property of all cellular life in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Signals that originate from outside a cell (or extracellular signals) can be physical agents like mechanical pressure, voltage, temperature, light, or chemical signals (e.g., small molecules, peptides, or gas).

Melanin

Melanin (ˈmɛlənɪn; ) is a broad term for a group of natural pigments found in most organisms. The melanin pigments are produced in a specialized group of cells known as melanocytes. There are five basic types of melanin: eumelanin, pheomelanin, neuromelanin, allomelanin and pyomelanin. The most common type is eumelanin, of which there are two types — brown eumelanin and black eumelanin. Eumelanin is produced through a multistage chemical process known as melanogenesis, where the oxidation of the amino acid tyrosine is followed by polymerization.

Genetic disorder

A genetic disorder is a health problem caused by one or more abnormalities in the genome. It can be caused by a mutation in a single gene (monogenic) or multiple genes (polygenic) or by a chromosomal abnormality. Although polygenic disorders are the most common, the term is mostly used when discussing disorders with a single genetic cause, either in a gene or chromosome. The mutation responsible can occur spontaneously before embryonic development (a de novo mutation), or it can be inherited from two parents who are carriers of a faulty gene (autosomal recessive inheritance) or from a parent with the disorder (autosomal dominant inheritance).

Human hair color

Human hair color is the pigmentation of human hair follicles due to two types of melanin: eumelanin and pheomelanin. Generally, if more melanin is present, the color of the hair is darker; if less melanin is present, the hair is lighter. The tone of the hair is dependent on the ratio of black or brown eumelanin to yellow or red pheomelanin. Levels of melanin can vary over time causing a person's hair color to change, and it is possible to have hair follicles of more than one color on the same person.

Melanocortin 5 receptor

Melanocortin 5 receptor (MC5R) is a protein that in humans is encoded by the gene. It is located on the chromosome 18 in the human genome. When the MC5R was disrupted in transgenic mice, it induced disruption of their exocrine glands and resulted in decreased production of sebum. MC5R is necessary for normal sebum production. Stimulation of MC5R promotes fatty acid oxidation in skeletal muscle and lypolysis in adipocytes. MC5R is essential for erythrocyte differentiation. MC5R is involved in inflammation.

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