title: Pro-survival role of MITF in melanoma.
abstract: Melanoma is a therapy-resistant skin cancer due to numerous mechanisms supporting cell survival. Although components of melanoma cytoprotective mechanisms are overexpressed in many types of tumors, some of their regulators are characteristic for melanoma. Several genes mediating pro-survival functions have been identified as direct targets of microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF), a melanocyte-specific modulator also recognized as a lineage addiction oncogene in melanoma. BRAF(V600E) and other proteins deregulated in melanoma influence MITF expression and activity, or they are the partners of MITF in melanoma response to radiotherapy and chemotherapeutics. In this review, the pro-survival activity of MITF is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology of Cancer, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland.
authors.forename: Mariusz L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Hartman
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology of Cancer, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland. Electronic address: malgorzata.czyz@umed.lodz.pl.
authors.forename: Malgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Czyz
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis; D002470:Cell Survival; D006801:Humans; D008545:Melanoma / Q000473:pathology*; D051739:Microphthalmia-Associated Transcription Factor / Q000502:physiology*; D015778:Minor Histocompatibility Antigens; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000502:physiology; D019859:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met / Q000502:physiology; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: C096816:BCL2-related protein A1; C497234:MITF protein, human; D051739:Microphthalmia-Associated Transcription Factor; D015778:Minor Histocompatibility Antigens; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D019859:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met