Melanosome transfer

Melanosome transfer refers to the process by which melanin-containing organelles, **melanosomes**, are transferred from pigment-producing melanocytes to neighboring keratinocytes in the skin and hair follicles[1][2][3][7]. Multiple mechanisms have been proposed for this transfer, including cytophagocytosis of dendritic tips, direct membrane fusion, exocytosis of melanosome cores followed by endocytosis, and the shedding-phagocytosis of vesicles or globules containing melanosomes[1][2][3][4]. Melanosome transfer is essential for visible skin and hair pigmentation and for photoprotection, as melanin caps keratinocyte nuclei to protect DNA from UV-induced damage, thereby reducing skin cancer risk[1][5]. Molecular regulators and cytoskeletal elements (e.g., Rab27A-melanophilin-Myosin Va complex, RhoA, Rac1, PKA, PKC, and certain autophagy proteins) facilitate the transport and transfer processes, but **"melanosome transfer" itself is not a druggable molecular entity**[2][3][6]. Dysfunction in this process can cause pigmentary diseases but no drugs directly interact with "melanosome transfer" as a molecular target. In summary, "melanosome transfer" should not be treated as a canonical molecular or therapeutic target, but as a complex, multi-step intercellular biological process[1][2][3][4][5][7].

Other names

Pigment organelle transferMelanin transferIntercellular melanosome transfer