The c-erbA beta thyroid hormone receptor. Expression and cDNA sequence analysis of the hormone-binding domain in human cancer cell lines.

The human c-erbA beta protooncogene encodes a thyroid hormone receptor (comprising a hormone-binding domain and a DNA-binding domain) which modulates expression of specific genes, such as cell differentiation genes. Using the reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay, significant expression of the c-erbA beta gene was detected in the SiHa, CaSki, HeLa cervical carcinoma; Hep3B, PLC/PRF/5, Mahlavu hepatocellular carcinoma; HT-1080 fibrosarcoma cell lines; as well as in normal MRC-5 embryo lung and FS-4 foreskin fibroblast cell lines. However, the Molt-4 leukaemia and Raji Burkitt's lymphoma cell lines exhibited very low levels of c-erbA beta expression. Single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis and direct sequencing of PCR products of the c-erbA beta hormone-binding domain cDNAs of these cell lines revealed identical sequences, but differed from the published human placental c-erbA beta sequence by five single base disparities. Sequencing of an aberrant fragment fortuitously amplified from the HT-1080 cDNA library demonstrated concordance with the cDNA of pregnancy-specific glycoprotein 4, which is related to the tumour marker, carcinoembryonic antigen.