BIOCHEMICAL-CHARACTERIZATION OF THE MELANOGENIC SYSTEM IN THE EYE OF ADULT RODENTS

The melanogenic activities in the eye of the adult gerbil (Meriones unguiclatus) have been investigated and compared to those found in the B16 mouse melanoma model. Eye extracts contain tyrosine hydroxylase, DOPA oxidase, DOPAchrome tautomerase and DHICA oxidase activities. The subcellular distribution of these activities was investigated by differential centrifugation and detergent solubilization of the particulate fractions. The distribution pattern closely resembled the one found for mouse melanoma, with a higher percentage of activity associated to the particulate fractions but a substantial proportion in the cytosolic fraction. The tyrosine hydroxylase activity was characterized by a K-M of 62 mu M for L-tyrosine and a stringent requirement for the co-factor L-DOPA (K-a 10.3 mu M) The K-M for L-DOPA was 0.41 mM. The sensitivity of the eye and mouse melanoma tyrosinase activity to a variety of substrate analogs and metal chelators was found to be identical. In keeping with these kinetic similarities, eye tyrosinase displayed some structural properties resembling those of the melanoma enzyme. The molecular weight of the enzyme, determined by SDS-PAGE and DOPA oxidase activity stain, was 75 kDa for the eye enzyme and 66.2 kDa for melanoma tyrosinase, and both enzymes were apparently dimeric in non ionic detergent solution. Immunoprecipitation with specific antibodies proved that at least 80% of the total tyrosinase activity could be immunoprecipitated with the specific anti-tyrosinase antibody alpha PEP7, while the anti-TRP-l monoclonal antibody TMH-1 precipitated little, if any, tyrosinase activity. Taken together, these observations provide the first vis-a-vis comparison of an extracutaneous melanogenic system and the melanogenic system of melanoma. Our results prove that, at least in rodents, the melanogenic system in the eye is similar, but not identical, to the melanin biosynthesis machinery of epidermal melanocytes.