A mismatch-binding heterodimer of hMSH2 and a 160-kilodalton polypeptide has been isolated from Hela cells by virtue of its ability to restore mismatch repair to nuclear extracts of hMSH2-deficient LoVo colorectal tumor cells. This heterodimer, designated hMutS alpha; also restores mismatch repair to extracts of alkylation-tolerant MT1 lymphoblastoid cells and HCT-15 colorectal tumor cells, which are selectively defective in the repair of base-base and single-nucleotide insertion-deletion mismatches. Because HCT-15 cells appear to be free of hMSH2 mutations, this selective repair defect is likely a result of a deficiency of the hMutS alpha 160-kilodalton subunit, and mutations in the corresponding gene may confer hypermutability and cancer predisposition.