A potent activator of melanogenesis identified from small-molecule screening.

Small molecules that increase the cellular level of melanin can be used to study melanogenesis, and have therapeutic potential for melanin-related diseases such as albinism. We describe the identification of a potent activator of melanogenesis from a targeted combinatorial library. Treating melanocytes with our most active molecule results in a 1.8-fold increase in melanin, and an increase in tyrosinase-catalyzed oxidation of L-tyrosine, a key step in melanin biosynthesis.