Screen for inhibitors or melanin biosynthesis.

摘要

A method for the identification of agents that inhibit melanin biosynthesis involves the incubation of test samples in cultures of a fungus that produces melanin. Observation of altered pigmentation in the culture or culture area containing test sample indicates inhibition of melanin biosynthesis. Preferred cultures for the screen contain a fungus that pigments in the light or the dark such as Cladosporium cucumerinum. Preferred embodiments employ test samples on disks or in wells in solidified cultures and a known melanin synthesis inhibitor as a positive control which is compared to the test sample by simple visual inspection.