Effect of melanomal proteins on sepia melanin assembly

Abstract

Accepted manuscript ; Melanins are phenol-based pigments with the potential for widespread applications including bioelectronics and tissue engineering. The concentration-dependent structural transition of sepia melanin in water is analyzed. This biopolymer at high concentration gives the well-known nanospheres, whereas sample dilution gives unforeseen nanofibres exhibiting the structural features of mature amyloid fibrils. We propose a mechanism of pigment self-assembly dependent on the interaction of residual melanosomal protein(s) with eumelanin heteropolymer. Our results contribute to understanding the peculiar physico-chemical properties of this ubiquitous pigment ; European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007–2013) under grant agreement No. ...