De novo mutation of GDNF, ligand for the RET/GDNFR-alpha receptor complex, in Hirschsprung disease.
Hirschsprung disease (HSCR) is a common congenital abnormality characterized by absence of the enteric ganglia in the hind gut. In 10-40% of HSCR cases, mutations of the RET receptor tyrosine kinase have been found. The recent identification of a multimeric RET ligand/receptor complex suggested that mutations of genes encoding other components of this complex might also occur in HSCR. To investigate this role, we examined the gene for glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), the circulating ligand of the RET receptor complex, for mutations in a panel of sporadic and familial HSCR. We identified GDNF sequence variants in 2/36 HSCR patients. The first of these was a conservative change which did not affect the GDNF protein sequence. The second variant was a de novo missense mutation in a family with no history of HSCR and without mutation of the RET gene. Thus, our data are consistent with a causative role for GDNF mutations in some HSCR cases.[1]References
- De novo mutation of GDNF, ligand for the RET/GDNFR-alpha receptor complex, in Hirschsprung disease. Ivanchuk, S.M., Myers, S.M., Eng, C., Mulligan, L.M. Hum. Mol. Genet. (1996) [Pubmed]
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