Interestingly, the MITF mutations that are associated with Waardenburg and Tietz syndromes are distinct from those that are found in melanoma: Waardenburg and Tietz syndrome MITF mutations primarily alter the DNA-binding properties of MITF and inactivate its transcriptional activity, whereas melanoma MITF mutations confer altered transcriptional activity upon MITF (Grill et al., 2013; Cronin et al., 2009). Here, MITF is linked to Tietz syndrome.