576 A preliminary study of melanogenic markers in the differentiation of the human hair follicle melanin unit

The human hair follicle (HF) contains multiple follicular melanin units (FMU) consisting of diverse subpopulations melanocytes, defined by their location and level differentiation/melanogenic-acitivty. This includes the infundibulum (In-FMU), stem/bulge (Stem-FMU), sebaceous gland (Sb-FMU), outer root sheath (O-FMU), peripheral proximal bulb (PP-FMU), melanogenically-active region (M-FMU). expression various melanogenic markers (i.e., MITF, DCT/TRP-2, Sox10, c-KIT) are said to be key features melanocyte differentiation status. Here we investigated so-called ‘early’ IHC using frozen haired scalp sections western blotting protein extracts individual microdissected HFs limited anagen (lower part HF). Our results show that both pigment cell Sox10 (using R/D polyclonal antibody; #AF2864, c-KIT Bioorbyt monoclonal #orb178436) can detected even in melanocytes region. Additionally, master transcription factor MITF was bulb, blotting. Despite its role biosynthesis, DCT/TRP-2 has previously been reported only most immature melanoblasts Stem-FMU. However, observed clear bulb-derived extracts. supports previously-reported view DCT may a multifunctional protein/enzyme with stem, melanogenesis, redox-related functions.