NEU3 was the unique sialidase to be over-expressed by melanoma cells; lysosomal sialidase NEU1 expression varied inconsistently among melanoma cell lines and melanocytes; cytosolic sialidase NEU2 was not expressed in both melanocytes and melanoma cells; sialidase NEU4 appeared to be down-regulated in all melanoma cells except L1, L34, L39, L40, in comparison to melanocytes. This evidence concerns the gene NEU4 and melanoma.