E-cadherin is a calcium dependent cell-cell adhesion molecule. In cancer tissue, detachment of the adhesion system is indispensable for invasion and metastasis of cancer cells. We have investigated mechanism of the dysfunction of E-cadherin-dependent cell-cell adhesion system in gastric carcinoma cells. Although the high expression of E-cadherin in a scirrhous gastric cancer cell line HSC-39, the function of E-cadherin was completely abolished. Western blotting of beta-catenin in HSC-39 cells demonstrated that a truncated beta-catenin was detected. The truncation was due to partial deletion of beta-catenin DNA. It was concluded that in HSC-39 loss of E-cadherin dependent cell-cell adhesion was due to mutation of beta-catenin gene.