La proteína MITF reconoce las secuencias E-box (5'-CANNTG-3') y M-box (5'-TCANNTG-3' ó 5'-CANNTGA-3') en las regiones promotoras de los genes diana (donde C = citosina; A = adenina; T = timina; G = guanina; N = cualquier nucleótido). Entre los genes diana conocidos y confirmados al menos por dos fuentes independientes de este factor de transcripción, se encuentran los siguientes:
↑Levy C, Khaled M, Fisher DE (2006). «MITF: master regulator of melanocyte development and melanoma oncogene». Trends Mol Med12 (9): 406-14. PMID16899407. doi:10.1016/j.molmed.2006.07.008.
↑Luchin A, Purdom G, Murphy K, et al. (2000). «The microphthalmia transcription factor reulates expression of the tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase gene during terminal differentiation of osteoclasts». J. Bone Miner. Res.15 (3): 451-460. PMID10750559. doi:10.1359/jbmr.2000.15.3.451.
↑Du J, Widlund HR, Horstmann MA, et al. (2004). «Critical role of CDK2 for melanoma growth linked to its melanocyte-specific transcriptional regulation by MITF». Cancer Cell6 (6): 565-76. PMID15607961. doi:10.1016/j.ccr.2004.10.014.
↑Loftus SK, Antonellis A, Matera I, et al. (2009). «Gpnmb is a Melanoblast-Expressed, MITF-Dependent Gene». Pigment Cell Melanoma Res.22 (1): 99. PMID18983539. doi:10.1111/j.1755-148X.2008.00518.x.
12Du J, Miller AJ, Widlund HR, et al. (2003). «MLANA/MART1 and SILV/PMEL17/GP100 are transcriptionally regulated by MITF in melanocytes and melanoma». Am. J. Pathol.163 (1): 333-43. PMID12819038.
↑Hou L, Panthier JJ, Arnheiter H (2000). «Signaling and transcriptional regulation in the neural crest-derived melanocyte lineage: interactions between KIT and MITF». Development127 (24): 5379-89. PMID11076759.
↑Fang D, Tsuji Y, Setaluri V (2002). «Selective down-regulation of tyrosinase family gene TYRP1 by inhibition of the activity of melanocyte transcription factor, MITF». Nucleic Acids Res.30 (14): 3096-106. PMID12136092. doi:10.1093/nar/gkf424.
↑Morii, Eiichi; Oboki Keisuke, Kataoka Tatsuki R, Igarashi Kazuhiko, Kitamura Yukihiko (Mar. de 2002). «Interaction and cooperation of mi transcription factor (MITF) and myc-associated zinc-finger protein-related factor (MAZR) for transcription of mouse mast cell protease 6 gene». J. Biol. Chem. (United States) 277 (10): 8566-71. ISSN0021-9258. PMID11751862. doi:10.1074/jbc.M110392200.La referencia utiliza el parámetro obsoleto |coautores= (ayuda)
↑Levy, Carmit; Nechushtan Hovav, Razin Ehud (Jan. de 2002). «A new role for the STAT3 inhibitor, PIAS3: a repressor of microphthalmia transcription factor». J. Biol. Chem. (United States) 277 (3): 1962-6. ISSN0021-9258. PMID11709556. doi:10.1074/jbc.M109236200.La referencia utiliza el parámetro obsoleto |coautores= (ayuda)
↑Steingrimsson, Eiríkur; Tessarollo Lino, Pathak Bhavani, Hou Ling, Arnheiter Heinz, Copeland Neal G, Jenkins Nancy A (Apr. de 2002). «Mitf and Tfe3, two members of the Mitf-Tfe family of bHLH-Zip transcription factors, have important but functionally redundant roles in osteoclast development». Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. (United States) 99 (7): 4477-82. ISSN0027-8424. PMID11930005. doi:10.1073/pnas.072071099.La referencia utiliza el parámetro obsoleto |coautores= (ayuda)
↑Mansky, Kim C; Sulzbacher Sabine, Purdom Georgia, Nelsen Lori, Hume David A, Rehli Michael, Ostrowski Michael C (Feb. de 2002). «The microphthalmia transcription factor and the related helix-loop-helix zipper factors TFE-3 and TFE-C collaborate to activate the tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase promoter». J. Leukoc. Biol. (United States) 71 (2): 304-10. ISSN0741-5400. PMID11818452.La referencia utiliza el parámetro obsoleto |coautores= (ayuda)
↑Xu, W; Gong L, Haddad M M, Bischof O, Campisi J, Yeh E T, Medrano E E (Mar. de 2000). «Regulation of microphthalmia-associated transcription factor MITF protein levels by association with the ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme hUBC9». Exp. Cell Res. (UNITED STATES) 255 (2): 135-43. ISSN0014-4827. PMID10694430. doi:10.1006/excr.2000.4803.La referencia utiliza el parámetro obsoleto |coautores= (ayuda)