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MITF

A Matter of Life and Death for Developing Melanocytes

  • Chapter
From Melanocytes to Melanoma

Abstract

Since its discovery over a decade ago, the microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF), has moved ever more to the center of pigment cell biology. Not only has MITF been found to regulate the expression of a number of genes involved in melanin biosynthesis, it is also essential in cell lineage determination, regulation of cell proliferation and cell survival, and replenishment of follicular melanocytes in the adult. To perform these multiple functions in a temporally and spatially appropriate manner, Mitf needs to be stringently regulated. Through the fruitful merging of genetics, biochemistry, and molecular and cell biology, it has become clear that Mitf is regulated both transcriptionally and posttranslationally in response to extracellular signaling and, hence, serves as a critical link between extracellular cues and gene expression. Intriguingly, many of the molecular pathways important for pigment cell development are also implicated in the formation of melanoma; therefore, the mechanisms controlling the development of pigment cells may provide invaluable insights into the cells’ malignant transformation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Mammalian Development Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD

    Heinz Arnheiter, Ling Hou, Minh-Thanh T. Nguyen, Keren Bismuth, Tamas Csermely, Hideki Murakami, Susan Skuntz, WenFang Liu & Kapil Bharti

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  1. Heinz Arnheiter
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  2. Ling Hou
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  3. Minh-Thanh T. Nguyen
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  4. Keren Bismuth
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  5. Tamas Csermely
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  7. Susan Skuntz
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Cell Biology National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD

    Vincent J. Hearing PhD

  2. Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco

    Stanley P. L. Leong MD

  3. School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA

    Stanley P. L. Leong MD

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© 2006 Humana Press Inc., Totowa, N.J.

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Arnheiter, H. et al. (2006). MITF. In: Hearing, V.J., Leong, S.P.L. (eds) From Melanocytes to Melanoma. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59259-994-3_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59259-994-3_2

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