title: Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2B mutation in human RET oncogene induces medullary thyroid carcinoma in transgenic mice.
abstract: Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2B (MEN 2B) is a familial cancer syndrome, in which the cardinal feature is medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC), a malignant tumor arising from the calcitonin producing thyroid C-cells. MEN 2B is associated with a germline point mutation in the RET proto-oncogene, leading to a Met-->Thr substitution at codon 918 in the kinase domain, which alters the substrate specificity of the protein. We used the human calcitonin gene (CALC-I) promoter to generate transgenic mice expressing either the human RET oncogene with the MEN2B-specific 918 Met-->Thr mutation (CALC-MEN2B-RET) or the human non-mutated RET proto-oncogene (CALC-WT-RET) in the C-cells. At 20 - 22 months of age three out of eight CALC-MEN2B-RET transgenic founders presented with macroscopic bilateral MTC. In two founders nodular C-cell hyperplasia (CCH) was observed. Thyroid abnormalities were never observed in CALC-WT-RET transgenic mice or control non-transgenic mice analysed at this age. In some mice from established CALC-MEN2B-RET transgenic lines nodular CCH was observed from 8 months on whereas MTC was detected in 13% of mice from one CALC-MEN2B-RET line, from the age of 11 months on. These results show for the first time that the MEN2B mutation in the RET oncogene predisposes mice for MTC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University Medical Center Utrecht, P.O. Box 85500, 3508 GA Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Acton
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Velthuyzen
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Lips
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Höppener
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000235:genetics; D018276:Carcinoma, Medullary / Q000235:genetics*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D018814:Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 2b / Q000235:genetics*; D017354:Point Mutation; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D051096:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret; D011519:Proto-Oncogenes / Q000235:genetics*; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics*; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D029721:Drosophila Proteins; C000715470:MAS1 protein, human; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D002116:Calcitonin; D051096:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; C416649:Ret protein, Drosophila; C494999:Ret protein, mouse