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Fusion of a novel gene, ELKS , to RET due to translocation t(10;12)(q11;p13) in a papillary thyroid carcinoma
Author(s) -
Nakata Tomoko,
Kitamura Yutaka,
Shimizu Kazuo,
Tanaka Shigeo,
Fujimori Minoru,
Yokoyama Shiro,
Ito Kouichi,
Emi Mitsuru
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
genes, chromosomes and cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.754
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1098-2264
pISSN - 1045-2257
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1098-2264(199906)25:2<97::aid-gcc4>3.0.co;2-l
Subject(s) - chromosomal translocation , thyroid carcinoma , fusion gene , gene , medicine , biology , cancer research , thyroid , genetics
In papillary thyroid carcinomas, the genes for receptor‐type tyrosine kinase, RET or TRKA , are sometimes rearranged, resulting in fusion of its tyrosine kinase domain to 5′ portions of several activating genes. In a papillary thyroid carcinoma, we identified a novel gene ( ELKS ), the 5′ portion of which is fused to the RET gene by gene rearrangement due to the translocation t(10;12)(q11;p13). Subsequent cloning of the ELKS cDNA revealed that ELKS encodes a novel 948 amino acid peptide and is expressed ubiquitously in human tissues. The presence of multiple coiled‐coil domains in the ELKS product suggests that the ELKS protein forms dimers. Since the tyrosine kinase of RET is activated by dimerization that occurs when its ligands bind to the receptor, fusion of RET with the 5′ dimerization domains of ELKS would activate its cytoplasmic tyrosine kinase constitutively in papillary thyroid carcinomas. Genes Chromosomes Cancer 25:97–103, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.