title: Expression of the ret proto-oncogene product in human normal and neoplastic tissues of neural crest origin.
abstract: The histological localization of the ret proto-oncogene (proto-ret) product was examined in neural crest-derived and neuronal tissues together with their neoplastic counterparts by immunohistochemistry using a polyclonal antibody. Schwann cells, neurons, sympathetic ganglia, and cells of the adrenal medulla were positive for the proto-ret product, whereas melanocytes were negative. Positive results were obtained from neural crest-derived tumours such as schwannoma (69 per cent, 11/16), neurofibroma (59 per cent, 13/22), neuroblastoma (80 per cent, 4/5), phaeochromocytoma (100 per cent, 3/3) and medullary thyroid carcinoma (100 per cent, 3/3). The antibody reacted with all of the 22 astrocytomas examined. With negative proto-ret expression in melanocytic tumours, proto-ret expression was considered to correlate with the differentiation of some lineages of neural crest-derived cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ishizaka
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nagao
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hara
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ishikawa
mesh_terms: D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000737:chemistry; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000737:chemistry; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D009373:Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D009380:Neoplasms, Nerve Tissue / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D009432:Neural Crest / Q000473:pathology*; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D051096:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000032:analysis*; D012583:Schwann Cells / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D029721:Drosophila Proteins; C000715470:MAS1 protein, human; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D051096:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; C416649:Ret protein, Drosophila