Forms physiological amyloids that play a central role in melanosome morphogenesis and pigmentation. The maturation of unpigmented premelanosomes from stage I to II is marked by assembly of processed amyloidogenic fragments into parallel fibrillar sheets, which elongate the vesicle into a striated ellipsoidal shape. In pigmented stage III and IV melanosomes, the amyloid matrix serves as a platform where eumelanin precursors accumulate at high local concentrations for pigment formation. May prevent pigmentation-associated toxicity by sequestering toxic reaction intermediates of eumelanin biosynthesis pathway. ; Represents a potent melanoma-specific antigen. Among melanoma non-mutated self-peptides, G9-154 (KTWGQYWQV), G9-209 (ITDQVPFSV) and G9-280 (YLEPGPVTA), appear to act as immunodominant common epitopes that stimulate anti-tumor immune response mediated by HLA-A-restricted cytotoxic T cells.
