title: Characterization of ret oncogenic activation in MEN2 inherited cancer syndromes.
abstract: Germline mutations of c-ret, encoding a receptor-type tyrosine kinase, were found to be associated with variants of multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 (MEN2A, MEN2B), and familial medullary thyroid carcinoma. NIH/3T3 stable transfectants expressing RET with a mutation of MEN2A (MEN2A/RET) or MEN2B (MEN2B/RET) gained a transformed morphology, formed colonies in soft agar, and formed tumors in nude mice. These results confirmed that both MEN2A/RET and MEN2B/RET exert dominant transforming activities in NIH/3T3 cells. However, in contrast to their clinical manifestation, transfectants expressing MEN2A/RET exhibited a higher tumorigenicity in nude mice than transfectants expressing MEN2B/RET may depend on the presence of its ligand and/or substrates that are absent in NIH/3T3 cells. No change in the cellular localization of the mutated RET proteins was observed compared to c-RET. Interestingly, ret activation in NIT/3T3 cells appeared to be associated with up-regulation of homologous gap-junctional intercellular communication and increased expression of a gap-junctional protein, connexin43.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Internal Medicine, Ohio State University, Columbus 43210, USA.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Xing
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Smanik
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Oglesbee
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Trosko
authors.forename: E L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Mazzaferri
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Jhiang
mesh_terms: D016475:3T3 Cells; D000818:Animals; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000737:chemistry; D018031:Connexin 43 / Q000235:genetics; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000737:chemistry; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D018813:Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 2a / Q000235:genetics*; D018814:Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 2b / Q000235:genetics*; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*; D051096:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D018031:Connexin 43; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D051096:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; C416649:Ret protein, Drosophila; C494999:Ret protein, mouse