The roles of microphthalmia-associated transcription factor and pigmentation in melanoma

• The role of MITF and its targets in melanoma is reviewed.
• The role of pigmentation in melanoma is discussed.
• Regulation of MITF is reviewed.

MITF and pigmentation play important roles in both normal melanocyte and transformed melanoma cell biology. MITF is regulated by many pathways and it also regulates many targets, some of which are still being discovered and functionally validated. MITF is involved in a wide range of processes in melanocytes, including pigment synthesis and lineage survival. Pigmentation itself plays an important role as the interface between genetic and environmental factors that contribute to melanoma.