Dr Ian Jackson: Medical and Developmental Genetics

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Molecular Genetics and
Development of Melanocytes

 

Summary

Melanocytes, the cells which produce melanin pigment in skin and hair, are an excellent system for understanding fundamental principles of developmental and cell biology. These cells arise in the neural crest and begin to migrate as melanoblasts through the developing dermis. They subsequently cross to the epidermis and ultimately become localised on the dermal-epidermal junction in the skin or within hair follicles. Once at their final site they begin to synthesis melanin and transfer it as granules to neighbouring keratinocytes...

 

 

  1. McGill, G.G.; Horstmann, M.; Widlund, H.R.; Du, J.; Motyckova, G.; Nishimura, E.K.; Lin, Y.L.; Ramaswamy, S.; Avery, W.; Ding, H.F.; Jordan, S.A.; Jackson, I.J.; Korsmeyer, S.J.; Golub, T.R. and Fisher, D.E. Bcl2 regulation by the melanocyte master regulator mitf modulates lineage survival and melanoma cell viability. Cell 109(6):707-718, 2002
    PubMed Abstract
  2. Nishimura, E.K.; Jordan, S.A.; Oshima, H.; Yoshida, H.; Osawa, M.; Moriyama, M.; Jackson, I.J.; Barrandon, Y.; Miyachi, Y. and Nishikawa, S. Dominant role of the niche in melanocyte stem-cell fate determination.
    Nature 416(6883):854-860, 2002
    PubMed Abstract
  3. Wilkie, A.L.; Jordan, S.A. and Jackson, I.J. Melanoblast Distribution in Mosaic and Chimaeric Mouse Embryos - Coat Colour Patterns Revisited.
    Development     129:3349-3357, 2002
    PubMed Abstract
  4. Healy, E.; Jordan, S.A.; Budd, P.S.; Suffolk, R.; Rees, J. and Jackson, I.J. Functional variation of MC1R alleles from red-haired individuals. Human Molecular Genetics 10(21):2397-2402, 2001
    PubMed Abstract
  5. Flanagan, N.; Healy, E.; Ray, A.; Philips, S.; Todd, C.; Jackson, I.J.; Birch-Machin, M.A. and Rees, J.L. Pleiotropic effects of the melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) gene on human pigmentation. Human Molecular Genetics 9(17):2531-2537, 2000
    PubMed Abstract
  6. Harding, R.M.; Healy, E.; Ray, A.J.; Ellis, N.S.; Flanagan, N.; Todd, C.; Dixon, C.; Sajantila, A.; Jackson, I.J.; Birch-Machin, M.A. and Rees, J.L. Evidence for Variable Selective Pressures at MC1R.
    American Journal of Human Genetics 66:1351-1361, 2000
    PubMed Abstract
  7. Healy, E.; Flannagan, N.; Ray, A.; Todd, C.; Jackson, I.J.; Matthews, J.N.S.; Birch-Machin, M.A. and Rees, J.L. Melanocortin-1-receptor gene and sun sensitivity in individuals without red hair.
    Lancet 355:1072-1073, 2000
    PubMed Abstract
  8. Jordan, S.A. and Jackson, I.J. MGF (KIT Ligand) is a chemokinetic factor for melanoblast migration into hair follicles. Developmental Biology 225:424-436, 2000 PubMed Abstract
  9. Jordan, S.A. and Jackson, I.J. A late wave of melanoblast differentiation and rostrocaudal migration revealed in patch and rump-white embryos. Mechanisms of Development 92(2):135-143, 2000
    PubMed Abstract
  10. Newton, J.M.; Wilkie, A.L.; He, L.; Jordan, S.A.; Metallinos, D.L.; Holmes, N.G.; Jackson, I.J. and Barsh, G.S. Melanocortin 1 receptor variation in the domestic dog. Mammalian Genome 11:24-30, 2000 PubMed Abstract

 

  1. Molecular Genetics and Development of Melanocytes
  2. Genetic Models of Human Disease

 

Key Publications

For more publications from the lab of Ian Jackson see Genetic Models of Human Disease

 

  1. Richardson, J.; Lundegaard, P.R.; Reynolds, N.L.; Dorin, J.R.; Porteous, D.J.; Jackson, I.J. and Patton, E.E. mc1r Pathway regulation of zebrafish melanosome dispersion. Zebrafish 5:289-95, 2008 PubMed Abstract
  2. Dorin, J.R. and Jackson, I.J. Genetics. Beta-defensin repertoire expands.
    Science 318(5855):1395, 2007
    PubMed Abstract
  3. Jackson, I.J.; Budd, P.S.; Keighren, M. and McKie, L. Humanized MC1R transgenic mice reveal human specific receptor function.
    Hum Mol Genet     16(19):2341-2348, 2007 
    PubMed Abstract
  4. Jackson, I.J. Identifying the genes causing human diversity.
    Eur J Hum Genet 14:978-980, 2006
    PubMed Abstract
  5. Logan, D.W.; Burn, S.F. and Jackson, I.J. Regulation of pigmentation in zebrafish melanophores.
    Pigment Cell Res 19(3):206-213, 2006
    PubMed Abstract
  6. Takemoto, Y.; Keighren, M.; Jackson, I.J. and Yamamoto, H. Genomic localization of a Dct-LacZ transgene locus: a simple assay for transgen status.
    Pigment Cell Res     19:644-645, 2006 
    PubMed Abstract
  7. Bryson-Richardson, R.J.; Logan, D.W.; Currie, P.D. and Jackson, I.J. Large scale analysis of gene structure in rhodopsin-like GPCRs: evidence for widespread loss of an ancient intron. Gene 338:15-23, 2004 PubMed Abstract
  8. Jackson, I.J. The G-netics of dark skin. Nature Genetics 36(9):935-936, 2004 PubMed Abstract
  9. Wilkie, A.L.; Jordan, S.A.; Sharpe, J.A.; Price, D.J. and Jackson, I.J. Widespread tangential dispersion and extensive cell death during early neurogenesis in the mouse neocortex. Developmental Biology 267(1):109-118, 2004
    PubMed Abstract
  10. Logan, D.W.; Bryson-Richardson, R.J.; Pagan, K.E.; Taylor, M.S.; Currie, P.D. and Jackson, I.J. The Structure and Evolution of the Melanocortin and MCH Receptors in Fish. Genomics 81(2):184-191, 2003 PubMed Abstract
  11. Logan, D.W.; Bryson-Richardson, R.J.; Taylor, M.S.; Currie, P.D. and Jackson, I.J. Sequence characterization of teleost fish melanocortin receptors. Annals N.Y. Academy of Science 994:319-330, 2003
    PubMed Abstract