Association of mitochondrial DNA transversion mutations with familial medullary thyroid carcinoma/multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 syndrome

Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is a malignant tumour of the calcitonin-secreting parafollicular C cells of the thyroid, and occurs sporadically or as a component of the multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) type 2/familial medullary thyroid carcinoma (FMTC) syndromes. In the present study, we investigated the frequency of mtDNA mutations in 26 MTC tumour specimens (13 sporadic and 13 familial MTC) and their matched normal tissues by sequencing the entire coding regions of mitochondrial genome. Nonsynonymous mutations were detected in 20 MTC samples (76.9%): nine out of 13 sporadic MTC (69.2%) and 11 out of 13 (84.6%) familial MTC/MEN2. Both transition and transversion types of mutations were found in the samples. Interestingly, 76.2% (16/21) of transversion mutations were found in FMTC/MEN2 patients, whereas 66.7% (12/18) of transition mutations were in sporadic MTC. Synonymous mutations were found in 12 MTC samples. In total, we identified 27 transversion mutations (21 nonsynonymous and six synonymous) in MTC. Of them, 22 (81.5%) were from FMTC/MEN2, and five (18.5%) were from sporadic MTC. The association of transversion mutation with familial MTC/MEN2 was statistically significant (P = 0.0015, binomial test). Majority of the mutations were involved in the genes located in the complex I of the mitochondrial genome, and were often resulting in a change of a moderately or highly conserved amino acid of their corresponding protein. Mitochondrial respiratory function was also compromised in a TT cell line, which carries mtDNA mutation at nt 4917 and 11,720, and in peripheral lymphocytes of MTC patients with mtDNA mutations. These data suggest that mtDNA mutation may be involved in MTC tumourigenesis and progression. Given that mtDNA mutation spectra are different between sporadic and familial MTC, different mechanisms of oxidative DNA damage may occur in the disease process.