Genetic analysis of epidermal growth factor action: assignment of human epidermal growth factor receptor gene to chromosome 7.

Abstract

Purified murine epidermal growth factor (EGF) binds to mouse and human cells. Two mouse transformed cell lines of different origins, PG19 [hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase-deficient melanoma cells] and B82 [thymidine kinase-deficient neoplastic fibroblast cells] lacked EGF receptors (EGFR). The defect in each of these 2 cell lines seems to be identical because they fail to complement each other. Somatic cell hybrids between these EGFR-deficient mouse cells and human cells [fibrosarcoma HT 1080 cells or diploid fibroblast BP cells] expressing EGFR were produced. Several of these hybrids bound labeled EGF. Detailed cytogenetic analysis of these cell hybrids followed by correlation of EGFR expression with human chromosomes revealed that EGFR presence correlated with human chromosome 7. The structural gene or a gene necessary for expression of the human EGF receptor is apparently located on human chromosome 7.