Demonstration of melanosome transfer by a shedding microvesicle mechanism.

The process of melanosome transfer has fascinated pigment cell biologists for decades. Whole-organelle transfer is a unique property of melanocytes, suggesting that the biologic underpinnings of the process reflect melanocyte- and keratinocyte-specific proteins and pathways. Although several mechanisms of melanosome transfer are likely to occur in the skin, Ando et al. focused on a new mechanism of melanosome transfer that involves release of melanosome-containing globules, similar to shedding vesicles into the extracellular space, followed by uptake by keratinocytes. This model adds further complexity to the process of melanosome transfer in the skin.