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The fundamental building blocks of red human hair pheomelanin are isoquinoline‐containing dimers
Author(s) -
Greco Giorgia,
Panzella Lucia,
Napolitano Alessandra,
d’Ischia Marco
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
pigment cell and melanoma research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.618
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1755-148X
pISSN - 1755-1471
DOI - 10.1111/j.1755-148x.2011.00896.x
Subject(s) - chemistry , benzothiazole , stereochemistry , biochemistry
A TPCA-based, three-marker analysis has been used to demonstrate that the dimeric benzothiazolylthiazinoisoquinoline units\udrecently identied in natural and synthetic pheomelanins\udare dominant structural building\udblocks of red human hair pheomelanin. This nding\udwould prompt a revisit of pheomelanin build-up in terms\udof coupling of carboxylated benzothiazine intermediates\udinto a specic BT-TIQ-related dimeric building block preceding further polymerization. Thus, BT-TIQ would\udreproduce all of the main chemical properties and spectral features of human pheomelanin. In this sense, BTTIQ compares to none of the low molecular weight\udintermediates so far isolated, including the trichochromes, and should, therefore, be duly considered in\udfuture models of pheomelanin structure