Because MITF is a central regulator of melanoma biology, we analysed the expression of crucial MITF ‘signature’ target genes, which revealed that the relative expression of melanoma differentiation genes (TRPM1, PMEL, TYR and MLANA) as well as proliferation and survival genes (CDK2, BCL2A1) followed MITF expression and was higher in stiffer matrix (Fig. 4b). This evidence concerns the gene PMEL and melanoma.