Melanin formation-inhibitory protein, and its preparation and uses
AssigneeKabushiki Kaisha Hayashibara Seitbutsu Kagaku Kenkyujo
InventorsShigeharu Fukuda, Yasuo Suemoto, Masashi Kurimoto
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A novel melanin formation-inhibitory protein, which has a molecular weight of 90,000.+-.20,000 and a pI of 5.5.+-.0.5, exerts a tyrosinase formation-inhibitory activity in pigment cells but does not substantially inhibit the inherent tyrosinase activity. Thus, the protein is advantageously used as a pharmaceutical and as a cosmetic in the prevention and/or treatment for local chromatosises such as chloasma, ephelis and sunburn, as well as for systemic chromatosises such as addisonism.
Claims9
An isolated protein which has the following physicochemical properties:
- (1) Molecular weight
- 90,000.+-.20,000 on sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE);
- (2) Isoelectric point
- pI=5.5.+-.0.5;
- (3) Ultraviolet absorption spectrum
- Exhibiting the maximum absorption spectrum at a wavelength of around 280 nm;
- (4) Solubility in solvent
- Soluble in water, physiological saline, phosphate buffer and Tris-HCl buffer;
- (5) Activity
- Exerting a melanin formation-inhibitory activity in pigment cells;
- and
- (6) Stability of activity
- Inactivated in water (pH 7.4) at 80.degree. C. for 30 minutes;
- Stable in water (pH 7.4) at 4.degree. C. for one month.
A process for preparing a protein, which comprises:
- allowing HPB-MLT cell line (FERM BP-2430) capable of producing a protein to cultivate in a nutrient culture medium to form said protein, and
- recovering said protein from the resultant culture;
- said protein having the following physicochemical properties:
- (1) Molecular weight
- 90,000.+-.20,000 on sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE);
- (2) Isoelectric point
- pI=5.5.+-.0.5;
- (3) Ultraviolet absorption spectrum
- Exhibiting the maximum absorption spectrum at a wavelength of around 280 nm;
- (4) Solubility in solvent
- Soluble in water, physiological saline, phosphate buffer and Tris-HCl buffer;
- (5) Activity
- Exerting a melanin formation-inhibitory activity in pigment cells;
- and
- (6) Stability of activity
- Inactivated in water (pH 7.4) at 80.degree. C. for 30 minutes;
- Stable in water (pH 7.4) at 4.degree. C. for one month.
A composition to prevent and treat local chromatosises and systemic chromatosises, which comprises an effective amount of a protein as an effective ingredient, said protein exerting a melanin-formation inhibitory activity and skin-whitening activity and having the following physicochemical properties:
- (1) Molecular weight--90,000+/-20,000 on sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE);
- (2) Isoelectric point--pI=5.5+/-0.5;
- (3) Ultraviolet absorption spectrum--Exhibiting the maximum absorption spectrum at a wavelength of around 280 nm;
- (4) Solubility in solvent--Soluble in water, physiological saline, phosphate buffer and Tris-HCl buffer;
- (5) Activity--Exerting a melanin formation-inhibitory activity in pigment cells;
- and
- (6) Stability of activity--Inactivated in water (pH 7.4) at 80.degree. C. for 30 minutes;
- Stable in water (pH 7.4) at 4.degree. C. for one month.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.