Table 6.
Expression of melanocyte specific pigmentation genes in lightly (HEM-L) vs. darkly (HEM-D) pigmented melanocytes.
| Gene Name (Gene ID) | Function (predicted) | Average HEM-L FPKM ± SEM | Average HEM-D FPKM ± SEM |
|---|---|---|---|
| P protein (OCA2) | 174.5 ± 28.7 | 308.3 ± 114.7 | |
| solute carrier family 45 member 2 (SLC45A2) | melanosomal transporter | 160.6 ± 14.0 | 23.2 ± 8.8 |
| solute carrier family 24 member 5 (SLC24A5) | 134.3 ± 3.4 | 167.6 ± 53.2 | |
| premelanosome protein (PMEL) | 7047.6 ± 1700.3 | 9558.0 ± 5087.4 | |
| melan-A (MLANA) | melanosome structure | 1677.3 ± 415.4 | 1423.0 ± 390.7 |
| G protein-coupled receptor 143 (OA1) | 238.9 ± 71.2 | 270.5 ± 77.9 | |
| glycoprotein (transmembrane) nmb (GPNMB) | melanosomal component | 1582.8 ± 302.6 | 2008.2 ± 1009.1 |
| tyrosinase (TYR) | 1429.8 ± 18.0 | 1604.6 ± 98.9 | |
| tyrosinase-related protein 1 (TYRP1) | melanogenic enzyme | 7250.1 ± 1930.9 | 7713.1 ± 914.7 |
| dopachrome tautomerase (DCT) | 1922.6 ± 1187.3 | 1209.8 ± 280.5 | |
| osteopetrosis associated transmembrane protein 1 (OSTM1) | pheomelanin synthesis | 105.4 ± 8.0 | 128.3 ± 62.2 |
The average FPKM for HEM-L and HEM-D libraries was calculated for melanocyte specific genes involved in pigmentation, classified according to their predicted function. The predicted melanosomal transporter SLC45A2, shown in bold, is the only gene expressed at significantly different levels in HEM-L vs. HEM-D.