Genetic background controls tumor development in PTEN-deficient mice.

PTEN is one of the most frequently mutated tumor suppressor genes in human cancers. Germ line mutations of PTEN have been detected in three rare autosomal-dominant disorders. However, identical mutations in the PTEN gene may lead to different symptoms that have traditionally been described as different disorders, such as Cowden disease, Lhermitte-Duclos disease, and Bannayan-Zonana syndromes.