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

The c-erbB-2 gene is a v-erbB-related proto-oncogene which is distinct from the gene encoding the epidermal growth factor receptor. By using two independent methods, hybridization of both sorted chromosomes and metaphase spreads with cloned c-erbB-2 DNA, we mapped the c-erbB-2 locus on human chromosome 17 at q21, a specific breakpoint observed in a translocation associated with acute promyelocytic leukemia. Furthermore, we observed amplification and elevated expression of the c-erbB-2 gene in the MKN-7 gastric cancer cell line. These data suggest possible involvement of the c-erbB-2 gene in human cancer.