Melan-A (MLANA) participates in the production of melanosomes by maintaining the stability of GPR143, which is crucial for the expression, stability, transport and processing of the melanocyte protein PMEL. Together with PMEL, it is regulated by the transcription factor MITF and up-regulation or down-regulation of MITF can regulate endogenous PMEL and MLANA in melanoma cells. The gene discussed is MITF; the disease is melanoma.