title: Expression of the RET proto-oncogene in human embryos.
abstract: The patterns of RET proto-oncogene expression in mouse, rat, and chicken and the anomalies observed in targeted RET mutants suggest that RET plays a major role in development of mouse enteric nervous system and in kidney organogenesis. Here, we report on in situ hybridization studies describing the pattern of RET proto-oncogene expression during early development of human embryos between 23 and 42 days. We show that the RET gene is expressed in the developing kidney (nephric duct, mesonephric tubules, and ureteric bud), the presumptive enteric neuroblasts of the developing enteric nervous system, cranial ganglia (VII+VIII, IX, and X) and in the presumptive motor neurons of the spinal cord. Yet, despite the high level of RET gene expression in the kidney and in the motor neurons of the developing central nervous system in human embryos, only rare cases with renal agenesis have been reported in Hirschsprung disease patients, and no clinical evidence of spinal cord involvement has been shown in patients carrying RET germline mutations (i.e., multiple endocrine neoplasia syndromes and Hirschsprung disease).
authors.affiliation: Départment de Génétique et Unité de Recherches sur les Handicaps Génétiques de l'Enfant, Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades, Paris, France.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Attié-Bitach
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abitbol
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gérard
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Delezoide
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Augé
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pelet
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Amiel
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pachnis
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Munnich
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lyonnet
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vekemans
mesh_terms: D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000378:metabolism; D017615:Enteric Nervous System / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D007668:Kidney / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D051096:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D029721:Drosophila Proteins; C000715470:MAS1 protein, human; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D051096:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; C416649:Ret protein, Drosophila