PDZK1 Upregulation in Estrogen-Related Hyperpigmentation in Melasma

The pathogenesis of melasma is unknown, although the potential role of estrogen has been considered. Microarray and real-time PCR analyses revealed that upregulation of PDZ domain protein kidney 1 (PDZK1) is clinically correlated with melasma. Although there has been no report that PDZK1 is involved in pigmentation and/or melanogenesis, PDZK1 expression can be induced by estrogen. In this study, the role of PDZK1 upregulation in melasma was examined, particularly in connection with estrogen, using biopsied skin specimens from 15 patients and monocultures and cocultures of melanocytes and keratinocytes with or without overexpression or knockdown of PDZK1. Estrogen upregulated PDZK1. Overexpression of PDZK1 increased tyrosinase expression and melanosome transfer to keratinocytes, whereas PDZK1 knockdown reduced estrogen-induced tyrosinase expression, through regulation of expression of estrogen receptors (ERs) ER-α and ER-β. The PDZK1-induced tyrosinase expression and melanosome transfer was regulated by ion transporters such as sodium–hydrogen exchanger (NHE), cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), and SLC26A3, which showed a specific association with each ER subtype. In the melanosome transfer, PDZK1 also increased phosphorylation of ezrin/radixin/moesin (ERM) and ras-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate 1, but not the expression of proteinase-activated receptor-2. Collectively, upregulation of PDZK1 could have an important role in the development of melasma in connection with estrogen through NHE, CFTR, and SLC26A3.