Tyrosinase Depletion Prevents the Maturation of Melanosomes in the Mouse Hair Follicle

The study demonstrated that depleting tyrosinase (TYR) in mouse hair follicles prevented the maturation of melanosomes, leading to significant changes in hair pigmentation. Researchers used a tetracycline-inducible shRNA system to partially silence the TYR gene, resulting in altered coat colors and disrupted melanosome structures. Despite not significantly reducing overall melanin content, TYR depletion affected the expression of key melanogenesis genes and melanosome maturation, highlighting TYR's critical role in hair pigmentation and providing insights into pigmentation disorders.