title: Cell-specific enhancer activity in a far upstream region of the human alpha-fetoprotein gene.
abstract: We describe experiments showing that the 5'-flanking region of the human alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) gene contains transcription control elements with characteristics of enhancers. The enhancer activity was detected and characterized by the ability to direct the expression of a linked chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) gene in transfected AFP-producing hepatoma cells in culture. The enhancer activity is cell-specific in that it occurs in hepatoma cells producing AFP, but not in non-AFP-producing hepatoma or nonhepatic cells. The active elements can direct CAT expression in conjunction with the SV40 promoter in an orientation- and position-independent manner. The sequences important for enhancer activity reside in the 400-base pair region between 3.3 and 3.7 kilobase pairs upstream of the AFP gene. This and proximal upstream regions contain multiple enhancer "core"-like sequences and other stretches of potential biological significance.
mesh_terms: D000123:Acetyltransferases / Q000235:genetics; D001483:Base Sequence; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000235:genetics; D015500:Chloramphenicol O-Acetyltransferase; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D004742:Enhancer Elements, Genetic; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D005809:Genes, Regulator; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms; D010957:Plasmids; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014162:Transfection; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins; D004247:DNA; D000123:Acetyltransferases; D015500:Chloramphenicol O-Acetyltransferase