A DNA sequence related to the abl proto-oncogene was identified in human placenta. Molecular cloning and nucleotide sequence analysis revealed two putative exons whose predicted amino acid sequence was most homologous to the corresponding sequences of c-abl and v-abl but was related to other tyrosine kinase genes as well. The new sequence was localized by in situ hybridization and somatic cell genetic analysis to human chromosome 1q24-25, which differs from the location of any previously identified tyrosine kinase gene. The detection of a novel 12-kb transcript by this gene in human normal and tumor cells establishes it as a new member of the tyrosine kinase family that is closely related to but distinct from c-abl.