B-Raf and C-Raf are required for melanocyte stem cell self-maintenance.

B-Raf and C-Raf kinases have emerged as critical players in melanoma. However, little is known about their role during development and homeostasis of the melanocyte lineage. Here, we report that knockout of B-raf and C-raf genes in this lineage results in normal pigmentation at birth with no defect in migration, proliferation, or differentiation of melanoblasts in mouse hair follicles.

B-raf alternative splicing is dispensable for development but required for learning and memory associated with the hippocampus in the adult mouse.

The B-raf proto-oncogene exerts essential functions during development and adulthood. It is required for various processes, such as placental development, postnatal nervous system myelination and adult learning and memory. The mouse B-raf gene encodes several isoforms resulting from alternative splicing of exons 8b and 9b located in the hinge region upstream of the kinase domain.

Differential regulation of B-raf isoforms by phosphorylation and autoinhibitory mechanisms.

The B-Raf proto-oncogene encodes several isoforms resulting from alternative splicing in the hinge region upstream of the kinase domain. The presence of exon 8b in the B2-Raf(8b) isoform and exon 9b in the B3-Raf(9b) isoform differentially regulates B-Raf by decreasing and increasing MEK activating and oncogenic activities, respectively. Using different cell systems, we investigated here the molecular basis of this regulation.