title: A duplication of 12 bp in the critical cysteine rich domain of the RET proto-oncogene results in a distinct phenotype of multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2A.
abstract: Activating germline mutations in the cysteine-rich domain of the RET proto-oncogene are found in >92% of the cases of multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2A (MEN2A) and 85% of familial medullary thyroid carcinoma (FMTC). In virtually 100% of patients with identified mutations one of five cysteines is altered by a missense mutation. In a MEN2A family with 14 affected and 11 unaffected living members, hypercalcemia was diagnosed in eight patients and histological evaluation revealed parathyroid hyperplasia in all cases examined (10/10). No member of this family showed any evidence for the existence of pheochromocytoma. This is the first documentation of a family without pheochromocytoma but with a high incidence of parathyroid disease. Genetic analysis revealed the presence of an unusual heterozygous mutation in exon 11 of the RET proto-oncogene representing a duplication of 12 bp resulting in the insertion of four amino acids between codon 634 (Cys) and 635 (Arg), thus creating an additional cysteine residue.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Hormone and Fertility Research, University of Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Höppner
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Ritter
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D003545:Cysteine / Q000737:chemistry; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D005091:Exons / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006934:Hypercalcemia / Q000235:genetics; D006965:Hyperplasia; D008297:Male; D018813:Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 2a / Q000235:genetics*; D009154:Mutation; D010280:Parathyroid Glands / Q000473:pathology; D010375:Pedigree; D010641:Phenotype; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D051096:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D012091:Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid / Q000235:genetics; D017421:Sequence Analysis
chemical_list: D029721:Drosophila Proteins; C000715470:MAS1 protein, human; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D051096:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; C416649:Ret protein, Drosophila; D003545:Cysteine