Chromosomal assignment of the gene for the human beta 2-adrenergic receptor.

Chinese hamster fibroblasts (CHW) fail to physiologically respond to the beta-adrenergic agonist isoproterenol with an increase in cellular cAMP. This unresponsiveness is due to a lack of beta-adrenergic receptors as indicated by an absence of specific binding of 125I-labeled hydroxybenzylpindolol (125I-HYP) to CHW plasma membranes. Preparation of somatic cell hybrids between CHW and human peripheral blood leukocytes led to the selection of a panel of 15 human-Chinese hamster cell hybrid clones, some of which had beta 2-adrenergic receptors (specifically bound 125I-HYP) and responded to isoproterenol (accumulated cAMP). Biochemical analysis of independent cloned cell hybrids indicated that beta 2-adrenergic receptor density and the intensity of the associated physiological response were closely correlated (r = 0.98). Both of these parameters were concordant in all cell hybrids with the presence of human chromosome 5. All other human chromosomes could be ruled out. These results suggest that the structural gene for the beta 2-adrenergic receptor is found on human chromosome 5.