Amplification in human breast cancer of a gene encoding a c-myc mRNA-binding protein.

The coding region determinant-binding protein (CRD-BP) binds in vitro to c-myc mRNA and is thought to stabilize the mRNA and increase c-Myc protein abundance. The CRD-BP gene has 15 exons and 14 introns, is single-copy, and is located on chromosome 11 in mice and 17 in humans, close to HER-2/neu. The CRD-BP gene is moderately amplified in 12 of 40 human breast cancers; it is highly amplified in 2 others (14.4 and 20 copies). Despite their proximity, CRD-BP and HER-2/neu genes can be amplified independently. Amplification of a gene that might up-regulate c-Myc abundance could accelerate breast cancer.