Research conducted by scientists in the US has identified 135 new genes related to pigmentation, which gives people their skin color.
According to the report in News Medical Life Sciences, a study by Vivek Bajpai from the University of Oklahoma and researchers from Stanford University identified 135 new genes associated with pigmentation, which gives people their skin color.
The researchers found 169 functionally distinct genes that affect the production of “melanin”, also known as skin pigment, while 135 of them were not previously associated with pigmentation.
According to the study, of the two newly discovered genes, KLF6 and COMMD3, KLF6, a DNA-binding protein, causes a loss of melanin production in humans and animals, but plays a role in melanin production in other species.
COMMD3 regulates melanin synthesis by controlling the acidity of melanosomes.
“By understanding what regulates melanin, we can help protect people with fairer skin from melanoma or skin cancer. By targeting these new melanin genes, we can also develop melanin-altering drugs for vitiligo and other pigmentation diseases.”
By discovering such melanin-producing genes, researchers can develop effective interventions against microbes and diseases.
The research was published in the “Journal Science”.
