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Cross talk between calcium and ROS regulate the UVA‐induced melanin response in human melanocytes
Author(s) -
Dumbuya Hawasatu,
Hafez Salwa Y.,
Oancea Elena
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fj.201903024r
Subject(s) - melanin , microbiology and biotechnology , calcium signaling , second messenger system , reactive oxygen species , photoaging , calcium , human skin , visual phototransduction , signal transduction , chemistry , photobiology , mitochondrial ros , mitochondrion , biology , biochemistry , organic chemistry , retinal , genetics , botany
Exposure to high doses of solar long wavelength ultraviolet radiation (UVA) damages human skin via reactive oxygen species (ROS). Whether physiological UVA doses also generate ROS that has an effect on the skin remains unknown. We previously showed that in human epidermal melanocytes UVA activates a G‐protein coupled signaling pathway that leads to calcium mobilization and increased melanin. Here, we report that ROS generated by the UVA phototransduction pathway are critical cellular messengers required to augment melanin. Using simultaneous UVA exposure and live‐cell imaging of primary human melanocytes, we found that physiological doses of UVA generate two spatiotemporally distinct sources of ROS: one upstream of the G‐protein activation that potentiates calcium responses, and another source downstream of calcium, in the mitochondria (ROS mito ). UVA‐evoked signaling led to mitochondrial calcium uptake via mitochondrial calcium uniporter to promote ROS mito production leading to melanin synthesis. Our findings reveal a novel mechanism in which ROS function as signaling messengers necessary for melanin production, thus having a protective role in the UVA‐induced skin response.