Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), ErbB-2, and ErbB-4 are members of the type 1 receptor tyrosine kinase family. Overexpression of these receptors, especially ErbB-2 and EGFR, has been implicated in multiple forms of cancer. Inhibitors of EGFR tyrosine kinase activity are being evaluated clinically for cancer therapy. The potency and selectivity of these inhibitors may affect the efficacy and toxicity of therapy. Here we describe the expression, purification, and biochemical comparison of EGFR, ErbB-2, and ErbB-4 intracellular domains. Despite their high degree of sequence homology, the three enzymes have significantly different catalytic properties and substrate kinetics. For example, the catalytic activity of ErbB-2 is less stable than that of EGFR. ErbB-2 uses ATP-Mg as a substrate inefficiently compared with EGFR and ErbB-4. The three enzymes have very similar substrate preferences for three optimized peptide substrates, but differences in substrate synergies were observed. We have used the biochemical and kinetic parameters determined from these studies to develop an assay system that accurately measures inhibitor potency and selectivity between the type 1 receptor family. We report that the selectivity profile of molecules in the 4-anilinoquinazoline series can be modified through specific aniline substitutions. Moreover, these compounds have activity in whole cells that reflect the potency and selectivity of target inhibition determined with this assay system.The type 1 receptor tyrosine kinase family contains four members, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR 1 or ErbB-1), ErbB-2, ErbB-3, and ErbB-4 (reviewed in Ref. 1). These receptors consist of an extracellular ligand binding domain, a single transmembrane domain, an intracellular tyrosine kinase catalytic domain, and a tyrosine-rich cytoplasmic tail. The biological activity of these receptors is mediated through the following signal transduction mechanism. A complex pattern of ligand/receptor interactions results in the formation of homoand heterodimers among type 1 receptor family members. Dimerization activates the catalytic domains and allows one receptor monomer to phosphorylate tyrosine residues on the cytoplasmic tail of the other monomer in the pair. Phosphorylation of tyrosine residues on the cytoplasmic tail creates specific binding sites for Src homology 2 or phosphotyrosine binding domain containing proteins. The recruitment of these proteins to the receptor activates signal transduction pathways that produce the response of the cell to the ligand. EGFR, ErbB-2, and ErbB-4 all possess active tyrosine kinase catalytic domains. ErbB-3 is catalytically impaired (2), but it is biologically active because it can form heterodimers with the other family members.Members of the type 1 family of receptors have been implicated in cancer. Specifically, overexpression of ErbB-2 and EGFR is correlated with poor prognosis and reduced overall survival (3). The role of ErbB-3 and ErbB-4 in cancer is not as well described. In pre-clinical models of ...