Expression of the RET proto-oncogene in human Embryos

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...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:American journal of medical genetics 1998-12, Vol.80 (5), p.481-486
Main Authors: Attié-Bitach, Tania, Abitbol, Marc, Gérard, Marion, Delezoide, Anne-Lise, Augé, Joelle, Pelet, Anna, Amiel, Jeanne, Pachnis, Vassilis, Munnich, Arnold, Lyonnet, Stanislas, Vekemans, Michel
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biological and medical sciences
Cell physiology
Cell transformation and carcinogenesis. Action of oncogenes and antioncogenes
Central Nervous System - embryology
Central Nervous System - metabolism
Drosophila Proteins
Embryo, Mammalian - metabolism
Enteric Nervous System - embryology
Enteric Nervous System - metabolism
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Gene Expression
Hirschsprung disease
human embryos
Humans
In Situ Hybridization
Kidney - embryology
Kidney - metabolism
Molecular and cellular biology
Protein-Tyrosine Kinases - metabolism
Proto-Oncogene Proteins - genetics
Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret
Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases - genetics
RET proto-oncogene
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Summary: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). Am. J. Med. Genet. 80:481–486, 1998. © 1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
ISSN:0148-7299
1096-8628
DOI:10.1002/(SICI)1096-8628(19981228)80:5<481::AID-AJMG8>3.0.CO;2-6