Vivek T. Natarajan

The paper identifies SEMA3E-PLXND1 signaling as critical for melanocyte migration and establishment, revealing its role in pigment patterning through F-actin modulation and transcriptional responses.

This study identifies Mgat4b as a regulator of melanocyte development and melanoma progression through N-glycosylation, showing its role in cell migration, adhesion, and tumor initiation.

The paper uses whole exome sequencing to show lower somatic mutation burden in vitiligo lesions, linked to reduced non-melanoma skin cancer risk through enhanced DNA repair.

This study identifies H2a.z.2 as a histone variant that biases neural crest cells toward the melanocyte lineage by enhancing Mitf promoter activation.