After each molt and at eclosion, the insect cuticle is hardened (sclerotized) and pigmented using dopamine made by tyrosine hydroxylase (Pale) and DOPA decarboxylase. Dopamine is used in three branches. Arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase (Speck, Aanat1) acetylates it to N-acetyldopamine (NADA), the precursor of colourless sclerotin. Ebony conjugates dopamine with beta-alanine to N-beta-alanyldopamine (NBAD), the precursor of yellow-tan sclerotin, and Tan hydrolyses NBAD back to dopamine, so the Ebony-Tan balance sets cuticle colour. Oxidation of dopamine and DOPA by phenoloxidases yields quinones and chromes that polymerize into black and brown melanins; the Yellow family proteins Yellow-f and Yellow-f2 convert dopachrome and Yellow-h converts dopaminechrome, and Yellow itself is needed for black melanin. Beta-alanine for NBAD comes from decarboxylation of aspartate by Black (Adc) and from uracil degradation through dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase, dihydropyrimidinase and beta-ureidopropionase.
Boundary. The module realizes the FlyBase pigment biosynthesis group without its ommochrome subgroup (OMMOBI), which is modelled in a separate ommochrome module, together with the beta-alanine biosynthesis group. Dopamine synthesis by Pale and Ddc is upstream context modelled in the catecholamine biosynthesis module, and the phenoloxidase Laccase 2 and the cuticle proteins that are cross-linked are not FlyBase members and are not parts. Yellow (y) is not a member of the FlyBase pigment biosynthesis group; it was added to the melanin part because it is required for black melanin. Ebony and Tan also act in histamine recycling (histamine metabolism module). Uracil-derived beta-alanine steps are assigned by orthology to the pyrimidine reductive degradation enzymes. FlyBase groups realized by this module: PIGMBIO (FBgg0002213), BALABIO (FBgg0002218). Subgroups folded into it: MELABI, DYNADAB, DYNBADB. Participants were generated from the FlyBase gene-group membership and mapped to UniProtKB by projects/FLYBASE_GENE_GROUPS/generate_modules.py from module_specs/dmel_cuticle_tanning_pigmentation.yaml. None of the member genes has a gene review in this repository yet.
All recommended fields populated.
✗ none found
No MODULE:dmel_cuticle_tanning_pigmentation deep-research report alongside the module YAML.
✓ every leaf node grounds to a representative protein.
✓ every declared conforms_to bundle matches its template motif.
0 gene-function check(s) reflected in core functions · 0 conflict(s) · 10 evidence or coverage gap(s) (10 comparison(s))
Retained noncore functions are reported separately; they do not require promotion to core functions. Support from representative genes does not establish conservation across the whole family. Missing reviews or identifiers leave a claim unverified.
| Annoton | Participant | Function | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| aspartate_decarboxylation_adc | Adc UniProtKB:X2J8B3 Gene |
aspartate 1-decarboxylase activity GO:0004068 |
Review Missing
No ai-review exists for this protein; its function and core-function coverage cannot yet be checked. |
| uracil_reduction_su_r | su(r) UniProtKB:Q9W374 Gene |
dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (NADP+) activity GO:0017113 |
Review Missing
No ai-review exists for this protein; its function and core-function coverage cannot yet be checked. |
| dihydrouracil_hydrolysis_crmp | Crmp UniProtKB:Q8IPQ2 Gene |
dihydropyrimidinase activity GO:0004157 |
Review Missing
No ai-review exists for this protein; its function and core-function coverage cannot yet be checked. |
| ureidopropionate_hydrolysis_pyd3 | pyd3 UniProtKB:Q9VI04 Gene |
beta-ureidopropionase activity GO:0003837 |
Review Missing
No ai-review exists for this protein; its function and core-function coverage cannot yet be checked. |
| nbad_synthesis_e | e UniProtKB:Q9VDC6 Gene |
beta-alanyl amine synthase activity GO:0003833 |
Review Missing
No ai-review exists for this protein; its function and core-function coverage cannot yet be checked. |
| nbad_hydrolysis_t | t UniProtKB:Q9W369 Gene |
beta-alanyl-dopamine hydrolase activity GO:0003832 |
Review Missing
No ai-review exists for this protein; its function and core-function coverage cannot yet be checked. |
| nada_synthesis_speck | speck UniProtKB:Q94521 Gene |
aralkylamine N-acetyltransferase activity GO:0004059 |
Review Missing
No ai-review exists for this protein; its function and core-function coverage cannot yet be checked. |
| melanin_formation_yellow_f | yellow-f UniProtKB:Q9VG09 Gene |
dopachrome isomerase activity GO:0004167 |
Review Missing
No ai-review exists for this protein; its function and core-function coverage cannot yet be checked. |
| melanin_formation_yellow_f2 | yellow-f2 UniProtKB:Q9VG08 Gene |
dopachrome isomerase activity GO:0004167 |
Review Missing
No ai-review exists for this protein; its function and core-function coverage cannot yet be checked. |
| melanin_formation_yellow_h | yellow-h UniProtKB:Q9V4C0 Gene |
dopaminechrome tautomerase activity GO:0106417 |
Review Missing
No ai-review exists for this protein; its function and core-function coverage cannot yet be checked. |
0 complete review(s) · 0 with deep research · 12 missing review · 0 reviewed but lacking deep research
| Gene | Review | Complete | Deep research |
|---|---|---|---|
| stw A0A0B4KF30 | ✗ | — | — |
| y P09957 | ✗ | — | — |
| Crmp Q8IPQ2 | ✗ | — | — |
| speck Q94521 | ✗ | — | — |
| yellow-h Q9V4C0 | ✗ | — | — |
| e Q9VDC6 | ✗ | — | — |
| yellow-f2 Q9VG08 | ✗ | — | — |
| yellow-f Q9VG09 | ✗ | — | — |
| pyd3 Q9VI04 | ✗ | — | — |
| t Q9W369 | ✗ | — | — |
| su(r) Q9W374 | ✗ | — | — |
| Adc X2J8B3 | ✗ | — | — |
Dopamine-derived NADA, NBAD and melanin pathways, with beta-alanine supply, that sclerotize and pigment the cuticle.
Yellow-f and Yellow-f2 convert dopachrome and Yellow-h converts dopaminechrome; Yellow is required for black melanin but its biochemical activity is not established.
FlyBase places Straw in the melanin, NADA and NBAD branches; its biochemical activity is unknown.