Concentration of melanosomes in various tissues has been unknown because of the impracticability of their direct quantification. Using an indirect approach comprising the estimation of melanin both in freeze-dried tissue samples and in isolated melanosomes, we obtained data on the amount of melanosomes in various pigment tissues. The concentrations of melanosomes found in the tissues were relatively high, not only reflecting the dark color of pigment tissues but also explaining their capacity to perform various functions ascribed to the presence of melanin.
The melanosomes were isolated from Syrian hamster melanoma Ma by three different methods. Levels of about 0.2% RNA and less than 0.05% of DNA were detected in the melanosome preparations. The higher the purification of the melanosome samples, the lower the DNA content observed. Consequently, traces of DNA in melanosomes could originate from contamination. The irreversible interaction of DNA with melanosomes in vitro was not demonstrated.
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