INVESTIGATION OF THE ORIGIN OF VARIANT, TRUNCATED ESTROGEN RECEPTOR-LIKE MESSENGER-RNAS IDENTIFIED IN SOME HUMAN BREAST-CANCER BIOPSY SAMPLES

Variant, smaller sized, estrogen receptor-like mRNAs have been previou sly cloned and sequenced from human breast cancer biopsy samples. In t his study we have found that one variant estrogen receptor-like mRNA, clone 24, which is expressed in only one tumor, consists of sequences from the normal ER gene which is found on chromosome 6 and sequences u nrelated to the ER which are found normally on chromosome 12. A more c ommonly occurring variant estrogen receptor-like mRNA, clone 4, contai ns sequences from the normal ER gene and LINE-1 sequences. Similar but not identical LINE-1 sequences have been found in some of the interve ning sequences of the normal ER gene. The generation of these transcri pts may involve either alternative splicing or trans-splicing mechanis ms.