Polycomb group proteins--epigenetic repressors with emerging roles in melanocytes and melanoma.

Melanocytes undergo rapid and significant changes in their gene expression programs at regular intervals during development and the hair follicle cycle. In melanoma, the gene expression pattern found in normal melanocytes is disrupted. These gene expression patterns are regulated in part by post-translational histone modifications catalyzed by Polycomb group (PcG) proteins, which play a major role in many developmental processes and are often altered in cancer. In this review, we discuss the role of the PcG proteins in stem cell and cancer biology, in general, as well as in melanocyte development and melanomagenesis. Highlights include the discussion of newly identified treatments that target the activity of PcG proteins as well as new developments in the understanding of the role that these proteins play in melanocyte biology. Published 2014. This is a US Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.