Recently, MITF has been suggested to be crucial in determining whether melanoma cells proliferate (melanoma initiating cells) or change to accommodate a more invasive phenotype (Carreira et al., 2006; Hoek and Goding, 2010; Cheli et al., 2011); this has formed the basis for the hypothesis discussed separately in this issue (Eccles et al., unpublished). This evidence concerns the gene MITF and melanoma.