Transcriptional Regulation in Melanoma

Transcriptional regulation in melanoma is a complex process that tends to hijack the normal melanocyte signaling pathways involved in melanocyte development, pigmentation, and survival. At the center of these often overlapping networks of transcriptional activation and repression is microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF), a melanocyte lineage marker that increases pigment production and exhibits diverse effects on cell survival, proliferation, and cell cycle arrest. The particular conditions that allow MITF to produce these potentially contradictory roles have not yet been fully elucidated, but analysis of the pathways involved provides opportunities to learn about new therapeutic strategies.