title: The melanocyte lineage in development and disease.
abstract: Melanocyte development provides an excellent model for studying more complex developmental processes. Melanocytes have an apparently simple aetiology, differentiating from the neural crest and migrating through the developing embryo to specific locations within the skin and hair follicles, and to other sites in the body. The study of pigmentation mutations in the mouse provided the initial key to identifying the genes and proteins involved in melanocyte development. In addition, work on chicken has provided important embryological and molecular insights, whereas studies in zebrafish have allowed live imaging as well as genetic and transgenic approaches. This cross-species approach is powerful and, as we review here, has resulted in a detailed understanding of melanocyte development and differentiation, melanocyte stem cells and the role of the melanocyte lineage in diseases such as melanoma.
authors: MRC Human Genetics Unit and.
authors: Richard L
authors: RL
authors: Mort
authors: MRC Human Genetics Unit and University of Edinburgh Cancer Research UK Cancer Centre, MRC Institute for Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK ian.jackson@igmm.ed.ac.uk.
authors: Ian J
authors: IJ
authors: Jackson
authors: MRC Human Genetics Unit and Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH25 9RG, UK.
authors: E Elizabeth
authors: EE
authors: Patton
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D008544:Melanocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008545:Melanoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D051739:Microphthalmia-Associated Transcription Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D009432:Neural Crest / Q000166:cytology; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D051739:Microphthalmia-Associated Transcription Factor
keywords: MITF; Melanoma; Neural crest; Stem cells