title: EGFR gene amplification--rearrangement in human glioblastomas.
abstract: Immunostaining using an affinity-purified rabbit polyclonal antibody against the extracellular domain of the epidermal-growth-factor receptor (EGFR) showed over-expression occurring in a fraction of tumor cells in 17 out of 18 human glioblastomas and in a majority of cells in 7 of the 18. Southern-blotting technique using a full-length EGFR cDNA probe showed a variable degree of amplification in 10 of the 17 glioblastomas, which was associated with EGFR over-expression in each case. In 2 of the glioblastomas with EGFR gene amplification, a rearrangement of the gene affecting the extracellular domain of the receptor was identified and DNA sequence analyses revealed an identical deletion-rearrangement of 801 base pairs between exons 2 to 7, resulting in an in-frame fusion of exons 1 and 8.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Neuropathologie, Universität-Gesamthochschule, Essen, Germany.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schwechheimer
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: W K
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Cavenee
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D002460:Cell Line; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000737:chemistry; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000235:genetics*; D005784:Gene Amplification; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D015321:Gene Rearrangement; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012326:RNA Splicing; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm; D066246:ErbB Receptors