Starting from the MITFLow/SOX10Low undifferentiated state, the most undifferentiated melanoma cells, having lost expression of both melanocytic transcription factors, SOX10 and MITF, to the MITFLow/SOX10Medium neural crest stem cell (NCSC) state, to the MITFMedium/SOX10Medium starved melanoma cell (SMC), intermediate and melanocytic states to the MITFHigh/SOX10Low hyper-differentiated state. Here, SOX10 is linked to melanoma.