The small MAF transcription factor MAFG co-opts MITF to promote melanoma progression.
Inmaculada Ibáñez de CáceresMichael MartinezZulaida Soto-VargasKaizhen WangXiaonan XuSara Ruiz-BucetaNicol MecozziManon ChadourneBenjamin PosorskeAriana AngaritaIlah BokQian LiuHarini MurikipudiYumi KimJane L MessinaKenneth Y TsaiMichael B MajorEric K LauXiaoqing YuInmaculada Ibañez de CáceresFlorian A KarrethPublished in: bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology (2024)
MITF is critically involved in melanoma progression and phenotype switching. We discovered that MAFG interacts with MITF to influence expression of MITF target genes and facilitate a shift toward a dedifferentiated melanoma cell state. This study demonstrates that MAFG promotes melanomagenesis by influencing MITF activity, an unappreciated mechanism of MITF regulation.