Fig. 1. Characteristics of wild-type and uw-mutant primary murine melanocytes in
culture. (A,B) Phase contrast photomicrographs of wild-type and uw-mutant
melanocytes. (C,D) Bright-field microphotographs emphasizing the pigmentation
of wild-type and uw-mutant melanocytes. (E,F) Bright-field microphotographs
showing the pigmented vesicles secreted by uw-mutant melanocytes into the
medium (arrows) and their absence in the medium of wild-type melanocytes. All
photomicrographs are shown at the same magnification. (G) Media were collected
from wild-type and from uw-mutant melanocytes, and were centrifuged to show
the similar appearance of those samples (i.e. no soluble melanin was present).
(H) Pigmented vesicles released into the medium by uw-mutant melanocytes can
be readily sedimented by centrifugation, a process not seen in wild-type
melanocytes. (I) Melanin content of extracts of wild-type and uw-mutant
melanocytes.