Cell state · L2
MEL.stress_glucocorticoid
698 cells in the full atlas (not the displayed sample).
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Marker genes
ATP1B1, BIK, EZR, FKBP5, GSTM1, LINC00462, MT1E, MT1M, OR7A5, OR7C1, TSC22D3
Annotation genes
FKBP5, GSTM1, MT1E, MT1M, TSC22D3
Annotation rationales
UV and inflammatory mediators trigger endocrine-like signals in skin. FKBP5 and TSC22D3 (GILZ) indicate glucocorticoid-responsive circuitry that suppresses excessive cytokine and pigment responses. MT1E/MT1M metallothioneins chelate Zn²⁺/Cu²⁺ and buffer redox stress that otherwise perturbs tyrosinase cofactors. GSTM1 detoxifies electrophiles generated by UV and lipid peroxidation. Olfactory GPCRs (e.g., OR7A5/OR7C1) reported in melanocytes can modulate cAMP/Ca²⁺, adjusting motility and melanogenesis under chemical stress.
Functional implications
Enact a protective program to preserve the melanocyte–keratinocyte unit during UV/oxidative or hormonal stress: dampen inflammation and excess melanogenesis via glucocorticoid effectors (FKBP5, TSC22D3), sequester metals and neutralize ROS with MT1E/MT1M and GSTM1, and transiently reshape dendrite dynamics and pigment output to prevent dyspigmentation while epidermal stress resolves.
Marker and functional descriptions are atlas annotations. Explore gene expression, trait associations and regulatory elements in the interactive browsers; see the browser guide.