Dual roles of lineage restricted transcription factors: The case of MITF in melanocytes

Carmit Levy, David E. Fisher

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

32 Scopus citations

Abstract

Microphthalmia-associated trans- cription factor, MITF, is a master regulator of melanocyte development, differentiation, migration and survival.1 A broad collection of studies have indicated that MITF directly regulates the transcription of genes involved in pigmentation, which are selective to the melanocyte lineage. In addition, MITF controls expression of genes which are expressed in multiple cell lineages and may also play differential roles in activating vs. maintaining gene expression patterns. In this Point-of-View article, we discuss lineage restricted transcription factor activation of both tissue-specific and ubiquitously expressed genes using melanocytes and MITF as a model system that may eventually provide insights into such processes in multiple cell lineages.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)19-22
Number of pages4
JournalTranscription
Volume2
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 2011
Externally publishedYes

Funding

FundersFunder number
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin DiseasesR01AR043369

    Keywords

    • Epigenetic
    • Gene regulation
    • Lineage specific
    • MITF
    • Melanocyte

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