Gorlin syndrome is associated with germline mutations in components of the Sonic Hedgehog pathway, including Patched1 (<i>PTCH1)</i> and Suppressor of fused (<i>SUFU)</i><i>SUFU</i> mutation carriers appear to have an especially high risk of early-onset medulloblastoma.
(2018) describe genetic models of Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) subgroup of medulloblastoma with SUFU alterations, painting more nuanced roles for SUFU in tumorigenesis and maintenance of Gli2 transcription factor circuitries.
We performed full-gene mutational analysis of both PTCH1 and SUFU in three familial medulloblastoma pedigrees and 83 individuals with sporadic non-familial medulloblastoma.
Each SUFU-positive family included a single case of medulloblastoma, whereas only two (1.7%) of 115 individuals with Gorlin syndrome and a PTCH1 mutation developed medulloblastoma.
Another component in this pathway, SUFU, is known to be involved in susceptibility to medulloblastoma but has never been reported in GS patients to date.
Together with the previous report describing three cases of non-NBCCS medulloblastoma carrying a germline mutation in this gene, individuals with a SUFU germline mutation are expected to have a markedly high risk of developing medulloblastoma and probably meningioma.
Overall, our work establishes the dual role of SUFU in SHH MB and provides mechanistic insights into transcriptional regulation underlying Gli2-mediated SHH MB tumorigenesis.
A complete mutational analysis of the SUFU gene was performed on genomic DNA in all 131 consecutive patients treated for medulloblastoma in the pediatrics department of the Institut Gustave Roussy between 1972 and 2009 and for whom a blood sample was available.