Researchers find that a protein activated to repair DNA damage also activates tanning, which can protect against melanoma

Scientists have determined that while it fixes damage to DNA caused by UV rays, the protein p53 also controls the mechanism for tanning. A powerful protein known as p53 has long been considered the master regulator of the genome because of its amazing ability to repair damaged DNA. Now scientists at Harvard's Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have discovered that p53 not only mends genetic material but also kicks off the chemical cascade that results in tanning.

Scientific American