Review highlights the multifunctional regulatory roles of MITF in melanocytes and melanoma, indicating its central importance across development and malignancy.
Key Points
To review the 25-year progress in understanding the regulatory mechanisms and diverse biological functions of the transcription factor MITF and related family members in melanocyte and melanoma biology.
Narrative synthesis of molecular and genetic literature spanning 25 years following the identification of the MITF gene.
Analysis of MITF-driven transcriptional target networks, biological phenotypes, and comparative functions of related factors TFEB and TFE3.
MITF coordinates a wide array of vital cellular processes, including cell survival, differentiation, proliferation, invasion, senescence, metabolism, and DNA damage repair.
Shared regulatory mechanisms and biological roles link MITF to related MiT/TFE family transcription factors TFEB and TFE3 in development and disease states.