Work

Dual roles of lineage restricted transcription factors

Year: 2011

Type: article

Abstract: Microphthalmia-associated Transcription 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.

Source: Transcription

DOI: 10.4161/trns.2.1.13650

Authors: Carmit Levy, David E. Fisher

Institutions: Harvard University, Massachusetts General Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Language: English

Topic: melanin and skin pigmentation

Subfield: Cell Biology

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Funder: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

Award: MITF from control of pigmentation to melanoma risk