Exclusion of the Nuclear Factor-κB3 (REL A) Gene as Candidate for the Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 1 (MEN 1) Gene

Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN 1) is inherited as an autosomal dominant disorder, characterized by neoplasia and hyperplasia in specific endocrine organs. The MEN 1 gene, which is most probably a tumor suppressor gene, has been localized to a region of approximately 900 kb on chromosome 11q13. The nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) is a transcription factor with pleiotropic expression, which is involved in the regulation of expression of many cellular genes. The p50/p65 heterodimer is the most abundant form of NF-κB. The gene encoding the p65 subunit (NF-κB3/REL A) was recently localized in the 900-kb MEN 1 region and was considered a good candidate gene for MEN 1. The structure and nucleotide sequence of the NF-κB3 coding region in MEN 1 patients were compared with those of non-MEN 1 subjects, to determine the potential role of this gene in MEN 1 tumorigenesis. Southern blot analysis with constitutional DNA from probands of 14 independent MEN 1 families and DNA from four MEN 1 tumor specimens did not reveal any structural abnormality of the NF-κB3 gene. Direct sequencing of cDNAs from two affected subjects from 2 different MEN 1 families, as well as nucleotide sequence analysis of exon/intron boundaries in these patients, did not reveal MEN 1-specific point mutations or other small structural aberrations in the NF-κB3 gene. These results make it very unlikely that the NF-κB3 gene is the gene responsible for the development of MEN 1.