title: The sensitivity of activated Cys Ret mutants to glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor is mandatory to rescue neuroectodermic cells from apoptosis.
abstract: Hirschsprung's disease (HSCR), a frequent developmental defect of the enteric nervous system is due to loss-of-function mutations of RET, a receptor tyrosine kinase essential for the mediation of glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF)-induced cell survival. Instead, gain-of-function Cys mutations (e.g., Cys(609), Cys(620), and Cys(634)) of the same gene are responsible for thyroid carcinoma (MEN2A/familial medullary thyroid carcinoma) by causing a covalent Ret dimerization, leading to ligand-independent activation of its tyrosine kinase. In this context, the association of Cys(609)- or Cys(620)-activating mutations with HSCR is still an unresolved paradox. To address this issue, we have compared these two mutants with the Cys(634) Ret variant, which has never been associated with HSCR, for their ability to rescue neuroectodermic cells (SK-N-MC cells) from apoptosis. We show here that despite their constitutively activated kinase, the mere expression of these three mutants does not allow cell rescue. Instead, we demonstrate that like the wild-type Ret, the Cys(634) Ret variant can trigger antiapoptotic pathways only in response to GDNF. In contrast, Cys(609) or Cys(620) mutations, which impair the terminal Ret glycosylation required for its insertion at the plasma membrane, abrogate GDNF-induced cell rescue. Taken together, these data support the idea that sensitivity to GDNF is the mandatory condition, even for constitutively activated Ret mutants, to rescue neuroectodermic cells from apoptosis. These findings may help clarify how a gain-of-function mutation can be associated with a developmental defect.
authors.affiliation: INSERM U 364, IFR50, Faculté de Médecine Pasteur, Nice, France.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mograbi
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bocciardi
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bourget
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Juhel
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Farahi-Far
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Romeo
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ceccherini
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rossi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000841:Anisomycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D017209:Apoptosis; D015153:Blotting, Western; D019556:COS Cells; D002460:Cell Line; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D003545:Cysteine / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000378:metabolism; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D004475:Ectoderm / Q000166:cytology*; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D051100:Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D051097:Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Receptors; D006031:Glycosylation; D006801:Humans; D008024:Ligands; D009154:Mutation; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000166:cytology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000473:pathology; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011233:Precipitin Tests; D011485:Protein Binding; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D011500:Protein Synthesis Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D051096:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013997:Time Factors; D014443:Tyrosine / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; C495039:GDNF protein, human; D051100:Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D051097:Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Receptors; D008024:Ligands; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D011500:Protein Synthesis Inhibitors; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D014443:Tyrosine; D000841:Anisomycin; D051096:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; C416649:Ret protein, Drosophila; D003545:Cysteine