These observed results highlight a crucial role for RXRα in mediating melanocyte homeostasis, proliferation, angiogenesis and apoptosis and indicate that ablation of keratinocytic RXRα contributes to the progression of spontaneous and acute neonatal UVB-induced melanocytic tumors to malignant and metastatic tumors. The gene discussed is RXRA; the disease is metastatic neoplasm.