Methylation status of epidermal growth factor receptor gene in lung carcinoma cells.

The methylation status of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene was compared in cell lines from four major types of lung carcinoma, small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC), large cell lung carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma, in order to examine whether DNA methylation is responsible for the suppression of EGFR gene in SCLC cells. Southern blot analysis revealed that the structural region of the EGFR gene is methylated to various degrees regardless of the expression of EGF receptor on the surface. An 8-kilobase EcoRI fragment which contains the EGFR gene promoter region is readily digested with various methylation-sensitive restriction enzymes in all types of cells, indicating that the EGFR gene 5' region is barely methylated. Thus, a mechanism other than DNA methylation appears to control EGFR gene expression and the lack of EGFR gene expression in SCLC cells may be caused by a paucity of some transcription regulatory factor(s).