“We’ve been able to correlate the activity of this genetic switch to melanin production and cancer,” says Salk study corresponding author Marc Montminy, a professor in the Clayton Foundation Laboratories for Peptide Biology.
The CRTC family of proteins (CRTC1, CRTC2, and CRTC3) are present in pigment-producing cells (melanocytes) give the skin its colour. when these cells mutate and begin to multiply uncontrollably, an abnormal amount of pigment is produced.
Researchers also observed that eliminating CRTC3 protein in mice changed the animal’s coat colour and also the absence of protein in less aggressive melanoma cells, suggests that inhibiting the protein will be beneficial for treating the disease.
They also found two cellular communications (signalling) systems that converge on the CRTC3 protein in melanocytes. Even more further studies can investigate the mechanism of how CTRC3 impacts the balance of melanocyte differentiation for better understanding of its role in skin cancer.
Source: Eurekalert
