1-Phenyl-3-(2-thiazolyl)-2-thiourea inhibits melanogenesis via a dual-action mechanism

1-Phenyl-3-(2-thiazolyl)-2-thiourea (PTTU) is a well-characterized dopamine β-hydroxylase inhibitor that prevents 6-hydroxydopamine-induced degenerative neuronal disease. However, the effect of PTTU on melanogenesis has not been reported. In this study, we examined the effect of PTTU on melanogenesis and studied its mechanism of action. We found that PTTU decreased melanin biosynthesis in a dose-dependent manner in normal human epidermal melanocytes (NHEMs). PTTU also inhibited tyrosinase catalytic activity in NHEMs. Moreover, PTTU treatment led to reduced protein levels of tyrosinase in NHEMs, while the protein levels of tyrosinase-related protein-1, tyrosinase-related protein-2, and microphthalmia-associated transcription factor were not affected. However, PTTU treatment did not affect the mRNA expression of tyrosinase. We found that PTTU-accelerated tyrosinase degradation via the ubiquitin-dependent proteasome pathway. In summary, we found that PTTU decreased melanin biosynthesis by decreasing the enzymatic activity and stability of tyrosinase. Our results indicate that PTTU could be used as a depigmentation agent for hyperpigmentation disorder.