A MAFG~MITF complex drives melanoma phenotype switching and progression
Olga Vera, Michael Martinez, Zulaida Soto-Vargas, Kaizhen Wang, Xiaonan Xu, Nicol Mecozzi, Harini Murikipudi, Sara Ruiz-Buceta, Manon Chadourne, Benjamin Posorske, Ariana Angarita, Ilah Bok, Juan D Ulloa Arrieta, Qian Liu, Yumi Kim, Jane L Messina, Kenneth Y Tsai, Michael B Major, Eric K Lau, Xiaoqi · 2026
Read A MAFG~MITF complex drives melanoma phenotype switching and progression by Olga Vera, Michael Martinez, Zulaida Soto-Vargas, Kaizhen Wang, Xiaonan Xu, Nicol Mecozzi, Harini Murikipudi, Sara Ruiz-Buceta, Manon Chadourne, Benjamin Posorske, Ariana Angarita, Ilah Bok, Juan D Ulloa Arrieta, Qian Liu, Yumi Kim, Jane L Messina, Kenneth Y Tsai, Michael B Major, Eric K Lau, Xiaoqi (2026) in the Tower of Babel, a free online library of public-domain works preserved in clean, searchable text. No sign-up. The full text is served as a plain-text file at a predictable URL, where text is present: https://antarctic-labs.com/tower-of-babel/pmc-13385793.txt.
Description
Olga Vera's team identified a protein pair that drives melanoma state switching, in a 2026 study. State switching fuels melanoma growth and therapy resistance under the lineage factor MITF. The team found the small MAF factor MAFG as a key regulator of MITF activity, often high in melanoma and tied to poor survival.
MAFG binds MITF and redirects where MITF sits on the genome, reshaping MITF-driven gene programs. Lab and animal tests showed MAFG promotes a dedifferentiated state, speeds growth, supports cell division, and enables the shift from moles to melanoma in mouse models. The MAFG-MITF pair thus offers a fresh target for blocking melanoma plasticity.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Olga Vera, Michael Martinez, Zulaida Soto-Vargas, Kaizhen Wang, Xiaonan Xu, Nicol Mecozzi, Harini Murikipudi, Sara Ruiz-Buceta, Manon Chadourne, Benjamin Posorske, Ariana Angarita, Ilah Bok, Juan D Ulloa Arrieta, Qian Liu, Yumi Kim, Jane L Messina, Kenneth Y Tsai, Michael B Major, Eric K Lau, Xiaoqi |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2026 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 85 KB |
| VERSION | 1.0 |
| LICENSE | CC BY 4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |