The sumoylation of MITF gained major relevance, when it was discovered that the recurrent germ line mutation E318K, which interferes with MITF sumoylation at K316, predisposes to melanoma and renal carcinoma and links MITF to familial melanoma (Bertolotto et al., 2011; Yokoyama et al., 2011). The gene discussed is MITF; the disease is familial melanoma.