Endogenous expression of Hras(G12V) induces developmental defects and neoplasms with copy number imbalances of the oncogene.

We developed mice with germline endogenous expression of oncogenic Hras to study effects on development and mechanisms of tumor initiation. They had high perinatal mortality, abnormal cranial dimensions, defective dental ameloblasts, and nasal septal deviation, consistent with some of the features of human Costello syndrome. These mice developed papillomas and angiosarcomas, which were associated with Hras(G12V) allelic imbalance and augmented Hras signaling. Endogenous expression of Hras(G12V) was also associated with a higher mutation rate in vivo. Tumor initiation by Hras(G12V) likely requires augmentation of signal output, which in papillomas and angiosarcomas is achieved via increased Hras-gene copy number, which may be favored by a higher mutation frequency in cells expressing the oncoprotein.

BRAF mediates RET/PTC-induced mitogen-activated protein kinase activation in thyroid cells: functional support for requirement of the RET/PTC-RAS-BRAF pathway in papillary thyroid carcinogenesis.

In human papillary thyroid cancers (PTCs), mutations of RET/PTC, NTRK, RAS, or BRAF are found in about two thirds of cases with practically no overlap, providing genetic evidence that constitutive signaling along RET-RAS-BRAF-MAPK is key to their development. The requirement for BRAF in RET/PTC-mediated MAPK activation and gene expression has not been tested functionally. There are three RAF isoforms: ARAF, BRAF, and CRAF. Compared with the others, ARAF is a much weaker stimulator of MAPK. To determine the key RAF isoform mediating RET/PTC-induced ERK phosphorylation, we stably transfected doxycycline-inducible RET/PTC3-expressing thyroid PCCL3 cells with small interfering RNA vectors to induce selective knockdown of BRAF or CRAF. Conditional RET/PTC3 expression induced comparable ERK phosphorylation in CRAF knockdown and control cells but negligible ERK phosphorylation in BRAF knockdown cells. Selective knockdown of BRAF prevented RET/PTC-dependent down-regulation of the sodium iodide symporter, a gene that confers key biological effects of RET/PTC in PTCs. Moreover, microarray analysis revealed numerous RET/PTC-regulated genes showing requirement of BRAF for appropriate expression. These data indicate that BRAF is required for RET/PTC-induced MAPK activation in thyroid cells and support the notion that BRAF inactivation may be an attractive target for PTCs.

Conditional BRAFV600E expression induces DNA synthesis, apoptosis, dedifferentiation, and chromosomal instability in thyroid PCCL3 cells.

The activating mutation BRAF(T1796A) is the most prevalent genetic alteration in papillary thyroid carcinomas (PTC). It is associated with advanced PTCs, suggesting that this oncoprotein confers thyroid cancers with more aggressive properties. BRAF(T1796A) is also observed in thyroid micropapillary carcinomas and may thus be an early event in tumor development. To explore its biological consequences, we established doxycycline-inducible BRAF(V600E)-expressing clonal lines derived from well-differentiated rat thyroid PCCL3 cells. Expression of BRAF(V600E) did not induce growth in the absence of thyrotropin despite increasing DNA synthesis, which is likely explained because of a concomitant increase in apoptosis. Thyrotropin-dependent cell growth and DNA synthesis were reduced by BRAF(V600E) because of decreased thyrotropin responsiveness associated with inhibition of thyrotropin receptor gene expression. These results are similar to those obtained following conditional expression of RET/PTC. However, in contrast to RET/PTC, BRAF activation did not impair key activation steps distal to the thyrotropin receptor, such as forskolin-induced adenylyl cyclase activity or cyclic AMP-induced DNA synthesis. We reported previously that acute RET/PTC expression in PCCL3 cells did not induce genomic instability. By contrast, induction of BRAF(V600E) expression increased the frequency of micronuclei by both clastogenic and aneugenic events. These data indicate that BRAF(V600E) expression confers thyroid cells with little growth advantage because of concomitant activation of DNA synthesis and apoptosis. However, in contrast to RET/PTC, BRAF(V600E) may facilitate the acquisition of secondary genetic events through induction of genomic instability, which may account for its aggressive properties.