Cultured melanocytes from vitiligo patients have enlarged ER compared with controls and vitiligo-inducing phenol compounds activate UPR strongly in these cells (Toosi et al., 2012) Genome-wide association studies also support involvement of ER stress genes in vitiligo, and genetic linkage analysis identified an association of XBP1 gene with the development of vitiligo (Birlea et al., 2011). Here, XBP1 is linked to vitiligo.