Gip-2 codon 179 oncogene mutations: absent in adrenal cortical tumors

The role of G protein mutations in the pathogenesis of adrenal cortex neoplasms is controversial. Two published studies disagree on the existence of a cysteine or histidine for arginine substitution at position 179 (R179C/H) of the GTP binding region of the alpha chain of an inhibitory G protein (Gi2alpha) in these tumors. Prior studies using detection by mutation-specific oligonucleotide hybridization showed either 3 of 11 or 0 of 56 tumors harbored mutations. To resolve this discrepancy and ascertain the importance of the R179C/H Gi2alpha mutation in the development of adrenal cortex tumors, we screened tumors from 29 patients (24 with adenoma, 5 with carcinoma) using a more sensitive assay employing polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and examination for restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP). Detection of the potential R179C/H mutation by this technique was possible because the wild-type coding sequence includes the BSTU-1 restriction endonuclease recognition site CGCG, whereas the mutated gene does not. Results showed complete digestion of the amplified DNA samples from all 29 patients and the negative control DNA by BSTU-1, indicating that all tumor samples exhibited only the wild-type sequence. Direct sequencing of PCR product from four tumor samples confirmed the presence of only the wild-type sequence. The 0 of 29 rate of R179C/H mutations we found in Gi2alpha is different than the 3 of 11 positive rate (p < 0.05, Fishers' exact) previously reported but agrees with the report showing 0 of 56 mutations. We conclude a mutation at position 179 of Gi2alpha is not important in the pathogenesis of most adrenal cortical tumors.