Localization of a novel v-erbB-related gene, c-erbB-2, on human chromosome 17 and its amplification in a gastric cancer cell line

Oncogenes related to growth factor receptors

Recent progress on analysis of functions of proto-oncogenes was discussed with the protein-tyrosine kinase group as an example. Many proto-oncogenes encode proteins related to regulation of cell growth and differentiation. Among those, the largest group is the protein kinase super family which includes growth factor receptors, non-receptor type protein-tyrosine kinases and serine-threonine kinases. They can be divided into subgroups according to their polypeptide and genomic structures. Members of each subgroup appeared to be originated from each single ancestral gene during evolutionary process even within the protein kinase super family.

Assignment of human nerve growth factor receptor gene to chromosome 17 and regulation of receptor expression in somatic cell hybrids

Nerve growth factor (NGF) is a polypeptide hormone which plays a central role in the development and growth of sympathetic and sensory neurons. The effects of NGF on target cells are mediated by a specific cell surface structure, nerve growth factor receptor (NGFr), which has been identified in human cells as a 75,000-mol-wt glycoprotein. We have used a monoclonal antibody to human NGFr to study cell-surface expression of the receptor on a panel of mouse-human neuroblastoma hybrids, and the serological typing results permit assignment of the gene coding for NGFr (NGFR) to chromosome 17q21-qter. In addition to mouse-human neuroblastoma hybrids, human NGFr was also detected on hybrids derived from fusions between mouse L-cell fibroblasts and human neuroblastoma and melanoma cells. Furthermore, induction of human NGFr expression was observed in hybrids derived from NGFr- human kidney epithelial cells and mouse L cells, but not in hybrids derived from human kidney epithelial cells and mouse RAG kidney carcinoma cells. These results suggest that cell-surface expression of human NGFr is controlled by trans-acting regulatory signals.