Apply infrared nano-spectroscopy to the study of human hair melanosomes

BackgroundAs one of the most visible organs, human hair has received intense attention in both basic and applied research. Melanin, produced by the melanosomes in human hair, imparts hair color while serving many complex biological functions. Due to the small size of human hair melanosomes, it is difficult to observe and study the chemical properties of melanosomes. In previous study on melanosome, chemical treatment methods were often used to extract melanosomes, which would affect their chemical properties and structures.PurposeThis study aims to apply infrared nano-spectroscopy to exploring the structure, distribution and chemical properties of melanosomes in hair.MethodsPhotothermal induced resonance (PTIR, also known as AFM-IR), a popular technique for infrared imaging and infrared spectroscopy measurements unrestricted by diffraction limit, was used to study melanosomes in hair slices. Synchrotron radiation infrared spectroscopy, together with AFM-IR were employed to characterize the distribution of melanosomes in the cortex in situ, and to measure the infrared characteristics and infrared chemical imaging of melanosomes spectroscopy at nanoscale spatial resolution.ResultsThe experimental results show that there are melanosomes in black hair but not found in white hair. Melanosomes are ellipsoidal, and the average lengths of long axis and short axis are 423 nm and 337 nm, respectively. The average length-to-short axis ratio is 1.26. The distribution of melanosomes in black hair gradually increases from the center to the outer layer.ConclusionsExploring the distribution and chemical information of melanosomes in hair carried out in this study provides an experimental basis for a better understanding of the involvement of melanosomes in hair color and biological function.