We have detected amplified human Ki-ras sequences in tumorigenic NIH 3T3 cells transfected with genomic DNA from the human breast carcinoma cell line MDA-MB231. Hybridization of synthetic oligonucleotides specific for human Ki-ras sequences showed a mutation at codon 13. The polymerase chain reaction with Ki-ras specific amplimers revealed a guanosine to adenosine transition at the second position of codon 13, resulting in a substitution of glycine by aspartic acid. The codon 13 mutation is also detected in one Ki-ras allele of the MDA-MB231 cell line.