Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: EC:2.7.10.1 (ERK)
95,504 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2A (MEN 2A) and familial medullary thyroid carcinoma (FMTC) are two dominantly inherited disorders caused by germline mutations of the RET proto-oncogene. The RET gene codes for a receptor tyrosine kinase. The majority of MEN2A and FMTC mutations are clustered in the extra-cellular cysteine-rich domain and result in constitutive activation of the tyrosine kinase through the formation of disulfide-bonded RET homodimers. Recently, two novel point mutations have been identified in the germline of five distinct FMTC families. Both mutations occur within the catalytic domain of the RET kinase and lead to the substitution of either glutamic acid 768 or valine 804 by an aspartic acid and a leucine respectively. We have introduced each FMTC mutation in two RET isoforms: RET51 the long isoform (1114 aa) and RET9 the short isoform (1072 aa) which differ in the C-terminal region of the protein. The RET51 isoform carrying either E768D or V804L mutation was autophosphorylated, displayed a transforming activity upon expression in Rat1 fibroblasts and induced neuronal differentiation of PC12 cells. However, the transforming capacity of these RET51-FMTC mutants was found to be severalfold less potent compared to the same isoform carrying either the MEN2A mutation (C634R) or the MEN2B mutation (M918T). In contrast, RET9 containing mutations E768D or V804L was not autophosphorylated, exhibited a poor oncogenic potential in fibroblasts and did not promote neuritic outgrowth upon expression in PC12 cells. Overall, these findings demonstrate that mutations E768D and V804L are gain-of-function mutations that confer to the long RET isoform the capacity to exert a biological effect, although these mutations are more weakly activating than the MEN2A and MEN2B mutations. These results may provide a biochemical basis as to why the phenotypic consequences of these mutations are restricted to thyroid C-cells.
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PMID:Oncogenic activation of RET by two distinct FMTC mutations affecting the tyrosine kinase domain. 924 75

The RET proto-oncogene encodes a transmembrane receptor with tyrosine kinase activity. Germline mutations in RET are responsible for a number of inherited diseases. These include the dominantly inherited cancer syndromes multiple endocrine neoplasia types 2A and 2B (MEN 2A and MEN 2B) and familial medullary thyroid carcinoma (FMTC), as well as some cases of familial Hirschsprung disease (HSCR1). RET mutations in HSCR1 have been shown to cause a loss of RET function, while the cancer syndromes result in RET oncogenic activation. Occasionally MEN 2A or FMTC occurs in association with HSCR1, albeit with low penetrance. An initial report linked HSCR1 in MEN 2A solely to the C618R and C620R RET mutations. In this study we have analyzed 44 families with MEN 2A. HSCR1 co-segregated with MEN 2A in seven (16%) of the 44 families. The predisposing RET mutation in all seven families had been previously reported in MEN 2A or FMTC and occurred in exon 10 at codons 609, 618 or 620, resulting in C609Y, C618S, C620R or C620W substitution. MEN 2A families with RET exon 10 Cys mutations had a substantially greater risk of developing HSCR1 than those with the more common RET exon 11 Cys634 or exon 14 c804 mutations (P = 0.0005). These findings suggest that expression of HSCR1 in MEN 2A may be peculiar to RET exon 10 Cys mutations . However, HSCR1 in MEN 2A is not exclusive to C618R or C620R RET mutations and can occur with other exon 10 Cys amino acid substitutions. The strong correlation between disease phenotype and position of the MEN 2A RET mutation suggests that oncogenic activation of RET alone is insufficient to account for co-expression of the diseases.
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PMID:Hirschsprung disease in MEN 2A: increased spectrum of RET exon 10 genotypes and strong genotype-phenotype correlation. 938 13

Point mutations, deletions, and recombinations of the RET proto-oncogene are associated with several inherited human diseases of neural crest-derived cells: Hirschsprung's disease, familial medullary thyroid carcinoma, and the multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) syndromes, types 2A and 2B. RET expression is restricted to normal and malignant cells of neural crest origin, such as human neuroblastoma cells. To better understand the role of the activated RET oncogene in neural crest cells, we transfected two adherent human neuroblastoma tumor cell lines with oncogenic MEN2 mutant RET cDNAs. Transfectant clones from both cell lines overexpressing MEN2B RET demonstrated a marked increase in the cell fraction growing in suspension. Both control and MEN2B cells formed tumors at the site of injection in all cases. However, mice injected with MEN2B cells developed lung metastases at a much higher frequency than control mice. Only RET protein derived from MEN2A transfectant cells had increased autokinase activity, whereas MEN2B transfectant cells demonstrated selective activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase, Jun kinase-1 (Jnk1). These results indicate a biochemical signaling pathway that may link oncogenic RET with the metastatic process.
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PMID:Expression of multiple endocrine neoplasia 2B RET in neuroblastoma cells alters cell adhesion in vitro, enhances metastatic behavior in vivo, and activates Jun kinase. 939 66

We report a patient with a metastatic parathyroid carcinoma and medullary carcinoma of the thyroid. This patient represents a variation of the multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome (MEN) type 2A. There was no evidence of a phaeochromocytoma. The case illustrates the difficulties that may be encountered in localising the source of PTH secretion; the patient underwent four unsuccessful exploratory operations of the neck and mediastinum before further investigations revealed a single metastatic deposit of parathyroid carcinoma involving the first thoracic vertebra. PCR amplification and sequencing of the RET oncogene from the metastatic parathyroid carcinoma and genomic DNA revealed a heterozygous mutation (Cys634Tyr) in exon 11, as has previously been described to occur in MEN 2A. In addition, loss of tumour heterozygosity was demonstrated at loci from chromosomes 1, 2, 3p, 13q and 16p. This represents the first report of a parathyroid carcinoma in a MEN2A patient, in which the multiple allelic deletions are consistent with the generalised losses observed in aggressive tumours.
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PMID:Metastatic parathyroid carcinoma in the MEN2A syndrome. 949 83

Hirschsprung's disease (HSCR) is a common congenital malformation characterized by the absence of intramural ganglion cells of the hindgut. Recently, mutations of the RET tyrosine kinase receptor have been identified in 50 and 15-20% of familial and sporadic HSCR, respectively. These mutations include deletion, insertion, frameshift, nonsense, and missense mutations dispersed throughout the RET coding sequence. To investigate their effects on RET function, seven HSCR missense mutations were introduced into either a 1114-amino acid wild-type RET isoform (RET51) or a constitutively activated form of RET51 (RET-MEN 2A). Here, we report that one mutation affecting the extracytoplasmic cadherin domain (R231H) and two mutations located in the tyrosine kinase domain (K907E, E921K) impaired the biological activity of RET-MEN 2A when tested in Rat1 fibroblasts and pheochromocytoma PC12 cells. However, the mechanisms resulting in RET inactivation differed since the receptor bearing R231H extracellular mutation resulted in an absent RET protein at the cell surface while the E921K mutation located within the catalytic domain abolished its enzymatic activity. In contrast, three mutations mapping into the intracytoplasmic domain neither modified the transforming capacity of RET-MEN 2A nor stimulated the catalytic activity of RET in our ligand-independent system (S767R, P1039L, M1064T). Finally, the C609W HSCR mutation exerts a dual effect on RET since it leads to a decrease of the receptor at the cell surface and converted RET51 into a constitutively activated kinase due to the formation of disulfide-linked homodimers. Taken together, our data show that allelic heterogeneity at the RET locus in HSCR is associated with various molecular mechanisms responsible for RET dysfunction.
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PMID:Various mechanisms cause RET-mediated signaling defects in Hirschsprung's disease. 950 84

The mature mammalian kidney arises through a series of reciprocal inductive interactions between two different cell groups, the ureteric bud epithelium and the metanephric mesenchyme. The RET receptor tyrosine kinase is required for induction and development of the metanephric kidney. Differential splicing at the 3' end of RET results in transcripts encoding three isoforms that differ with respect to their C-terminal 9 (RET9), 51 (RET51) or 43 (RET43) amino acids. In vitro assays have identified differences in the abilities of the RET9 and RET51 isoforms to induce differentiation suggesting functional differences between these proteins. We examined the relative expression levels of the three RET 3' splicing variants in developing human kidney using semi-quantitative RT-PCR. We observed consistent expression of the RET9 and RET43 variants in kidney samples spanning 7.5 through 24 weeks gestation. At early gestational ages (7.5-8.5 weeks), RET51 expression was very low (+/-5%) compared to RET9; however, a rapid seven fold increase in expression was detected by 9 weeks. Our data suggest that RET51 may contribute to differentiation-related events occurring after 8.5 weeks gestation rather than to induction of the human kidney.
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PMID:Expression of RET 3' splicing variants during human kidney development. 951 73

Germline mutations of RET gene, encoding a receptor tyrosine kinase, have been associated with the MEN2A and MEN2B inherited cancer syndromes. In MEN2A mutations affecting cysteine residues in the extracellular domain of the receptor cause constitutive activation of the tyrosine kinase by the formation of disulfide-bonded homodimers. In MEN2B a single mutation in the tyrosine kinase domain (Met918Thr) has been identified. This mutation does not lead to dimer formation, but has been shown (both biologically and biochemically) to cause ligand-independent activation of the Ret protein, but to a lesser extent than MEN2A mutations. Intramolecular activation by cis-autophosphorylation of RetMEN2B monomers has been proposed as a model for activation, although alternative mechanisms can be envisaged. Here we show that the activity of RetMEN2B can be increased by stable dimerization of the receptor. Dimerization was achieved experimentally by constructing a double mutant receptor with a MEN2A mutation (Cys634Arg) in addition to the MEN2B mutation, and by chronic exposure of RetMEN2B-expressing cells to the Ret ligand GDNF. In both cases full activation of RetMEN2B, measured by 'in vitro' transfection assays and biochemical parameters, was seen. These results indicate that the MEN2B phenotype could be influenced by the tissue distribution or concentration of Ret ligand(s).
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PMID:Full activation of MEN2B mutant RET by an additional MEN2A mutation or by ligand GDNF stimulation. 962 May 46

Multiple endocrine neoplasia types 2A and 2B (MEN2A and MEN2B) and familial medullary thyroid carcinomas (FMTC) are caused by germline mutations in the RET proto-oncogene. To investigate the spectrum of RET mutations among Japanese patients, we screened the RET gene in 71 patients with thyroid carcinomas. The panel included representatives of 44 families carrying FMTC or MEN2, 22 sporadic medullary thyroid carcinomas (MTCs), and five MTCs without familial information. Mutations in nucleotide sequences encoding one of three specific cysteine residues in the extracellular domain of the RET protein were found in 33 of the 34 MEN2A patients and in five of the six FMTC patients examined. A mutation at codon 918, causing the substitution of threonine for methionine in the tyrosine kinase domain of the protein, was found in germline DNAs of all four patients with MEN2B and in two of the 22 patients with sporadic MTCs; codon 918 was mutated somatically in tumor DNAs from three other sporadic cases. Germline mutations of codon 768, GAG to GAC (Glu to Asp), were detected in one FMTC, in one patient with sporadic MTC, and in one of the patients without familial information. Two somatic mutations, an Asp to Gly substitution at codon 631 and a Cys to Arg substitution at codon 634, had not been reported previously. Of five germline mutations found among the 22 sporadic cases, four were confirmed as de novo mutations since in each case neither parent carried the mutation. As nearly one-fourth of the patients with sporadic MTCs carried germline mutations and 50% of their children are expected to develop MTC and other endocrine tumors, these results indicated the importance of careful clinical surveillance of family members of any patient with MTC.
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PMID:Mutational analysis of the RET proto-oncogene in 71 Japanese patients with medullary thyroid carcinoma. 962 13

Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia (MEN) syndromes are inherited diseases characterised by endocrine tumours occuring as autosomal dominant genetic diseases with high penetrance. In MEN1, most tumours affect the parathyroids, endocrine pancreas, anterior pituitary, and adrenal glands. The MEN1 gene has been cloned recently and encodes a nuclear protein without known function so far. More than 200 germline mutations have been identified in MEN1 patients throughout the entire coding sequence and no genotype-phenotype correlation has been found. Now, MEN1 gene screening is a powerful tool in pre-symptomatic diagnosis for MEN1 patients and those with inherited MEN1 related syndromes. MEN2 refers to the inherited forms of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) which is associated with phaechromocytoma and parathyroid tumours in MEN2A, phaechromocytoma and mucosal neuromas in MEN2B. Familial isolated MTC is characterised by MTC only, and the three variants of MEN2 are related to germline missense mutations of the RET proto-oncogene, which encodes a tyrosine-kinase receptor. Germline RET mutations in MEN2 patients are related to the two main functionnal domains in the RET protein, the extracellular ligand binding domain (MEN2A and FMTC) and the intracellular catalytic domain (MEN2A, MEN2B and FMTC). Genotype-phenotype correlations have been established but must be used carefully in clinical practice. RET mutation analysis is now available for patients and prophylactic thyroidectomy in gene-carriers could be the most reliable way to cure the patients. Mechanisms of tumourigenesis induced by MEN2-related RET germline mutations have been analysed by in vitro studies and the generation of transgenic mice which develop true bilateral MTC. Recent insights on MEN syndrome pathogenesis and related inherited endocrine disorders have a major clinical impact and fundamental studies are now in progress in order to identify all genetic events leading from a normal endocrine tissue towards a fully malignant phenotype.
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PMID:Genetic testing in multiple endocrine neoplasia and related syndromes. 966 51

Specific germline mutations in the RET proto-oncogene predispose to the familial cancer syndromes: multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) types 2A and 2B, and familial medullary thyroid carcinoma. Expression of the RET receptor tyrosine kinase is tightly restricted to tumours of neural crest origin, such as neuroblastoma, and neuroblastoma has been observed in RET transgenic mice. Neuroblastoma tumour cell lines transfected with the MEN2A RET gene exhibit spontaneous neuritic differentiation, whereas MEN2B-type RET transfectants demonstrate altered cell adhesion and enhanced metastatic potential. In this study, the authors examined genomic DNA from 26 primary neuroblastoma tumours for MEN2A and MEN2B RET mutations, using restriction enzyme digestion of polymerase chain reaction products as an alternative to direct sequencing. Examination of RET exons 10 (codons 611, 618, 620), 11 (codons 632, 633, 634) and 16 (codon 918) in all 26 tumours revealed no RET mutations. Taken together these data suggest that abnormalities of the RET signalling pathway, rather than oncogenic, MEN2-type RET activation by mutation, may play a role in neuroblastoma tumorigenesis.
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PMID:Absence of MEN2A- or 2B-type RET mutations in primary neuroblastoma tumour tissue. 972 1


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