MITF is the master melanocyte transcription factor and has a complex role in
melanoma. Both gain- and loss-of function mutations in MITF have been identified
in melanoma, although its’ role in melanoma development and the effects of
targeting MITF are unknown. Using a temperature-sensitive mitf zebrafish mutant I
show that low levels of MITF are oncogenic with BRAFV600E in melanoma
progression. By pathology and MITF target gene expression, BRAFV600Emitfavc7
tumours are distinct from BRAFV600Ep53M214K tumours, and represent two melanoma
subtypes. Melanomagenesis can also be driven independently of BRAFV600E, in a
transgenic zebrafish with mutations in mitf and p53, representing a new melanoma
model.
Abrogating MITF activity in BRAFV600Emitfavc7 melanoma leads to regression of the
tumour, characterised by macrophage infiltration and increased apoptosis. This result
confirms the dependence on MITF activity in BRAFV600Emitfavc7 melanomas and
highlights the role of MITF as a therapeutic target for melanoma. Exome and
transcriptome sequencing has been carried out to gain insight into the expression and
genomic mutational landscape that is driven by these melanoma transgenic models
and results in these genotype-phenotype specific subtypes observed