Gene expression in RET/PTC3 and E7 transgenic mouse thyroids: RET/PTC3 but not E7 tumors are partial and transient models of human papillary thyroid cancers.
We studied gene expression profiles in two mouse models of human thyroid carcinoma: the Tg-RET/PTC3 (RP3) and Tg-E7 mice. RP3 fusion gene is the most frequent mutation found in the first wave post-Chernobyl papillary thyroid cancers (PTCs). E7 is an oncoprotein derived from the human papillomavirus 16 responsible for most cervical carcinoma in women. Both transgenic mice develop thyroid hyperplasia followed by solid differentiated carcinoma in older animals. To understand the different steps leading to carcinoma, we analyzed thyroid gene expression in both strains at different ages by microarray technology. Important biological processes were differentially regulated in the two tumor types. In E7 thyroids, cell cycle was the most up-regulated process, an observation consistent with the huge size of these tumors. In RP3 thyroids, contrary to E7 tumors, several human PTC characteristics were observed: overexpression of many immune-related genes, regulation of human PTC markers, up-regulation of EGF-like growth factors and significant regulation of angiogenesis and extracellular matrix remodeling-related genes. However, similarities were incomplete; they did not concern the overall gene expression and were not conserved in old animals. Therefore, RP3 tumors are partial and transient models of human PTC. They constitute a good model, especially in young animals, to study the respective role of the biological processes shared with human PTC and will allow testing drugs targeting these validated variables.
Burniat
Agnès
A
Institute of Interdisciplinary Research, School of Medicine, Department of Endocrinology, Erasme University Hospital, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium. aburniat@ulb.ac.be
Jin
Ling
L
Detours
Vincent
V
Driessens
Natacha
N
Goffard
Jean-Christophe
JC
Santoro
Massimo
M
Rothstein
Jay
J
Dumont
Jacques E
JE
Miot
Françoise
F
Corvilain
Bernard
B
D000818:Animals; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000502:physiology; D002455:Cell Division / Q000502:physiology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005110:Extracellular Space; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D009856:Oncogene Proteins, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D050725:Papillomavirus E7 Proteins; D010641:Phenotype; D051096:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret / Q000235:genetics*; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology*; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000502:physiology
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D009856:Oncogene Proteins, Viral; D050725:Papillomavirus E7 Proteins; C059731:oncogene protein E7, Human papillomavirus type 16; D051096:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret; C494999:Ret protein, mouse