Molecular bases of dominant negative and loss of function mutations at the murine c-kit/white spotting locus: W37, Wv, W41 and W.
The proto-oncogene c-kit encodes a transmembrane tyrosine protein kinase receptor for an unknown ligand and is allelic with the murine white-spotting locus (W). Mutations at the W locus affect various aspects of hematopoiesis, the proliferation and migration of primordial germ cells and melanoblasts during development. The original W mutation and W37 are severe lethal mutations when homozygous. In the heterozygous state the W mutation has a weak phenotype while W37 has dominant characteristics. Wv and W41 are weak W mutations with dominant characteristics. We have characterized the molecular basis of these four W mutations and determined their effects on mast cell differentiation by using a fibroblast/mast cell co-culture assay. We show that W37, Wv and W41 are the result of missense mutations in the kinase domain of the c-kit coding sequence (W37 E----K at position 582; Wv T----M position 660 and W41 V----M position 831), which affect the c-kit associated tyrosine kinase to varying degrees. The c-kit protein products in homozygous mutant mast cells are expressed normally, although the 160 kd cell membrane form of the c-kitW37 protein displays accelerated turnover characteristics. The W mutation is the result of a 78 amino acid deletion which includes the transmembrane domain of the c-kit protein. A 125 kd c-kit protein was detected in homozygous W/W mast cells which lacks kinase activity and is not expressed on the cell surface.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Molecular Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY 10021.
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Nocka
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Tan
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Chiu
T Y
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Chu
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Ray
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Traktman
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Besmer
D000483:Alleles; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000502:physiology; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D010641:Phenotype; D010858:Pigmentation / Q000235:genetics; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis
D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit