Tumor cell-specific gene expression by 5'-flanking DNA of murine Q5 gene in an adenoviral vector system.
BACKGROUND
Regulatory DNA that would induce tumor cell-specific gene expression of arbitrary genes in human cells has been sought. We previously reported that the transcription of mouse Q5 gene was tumor-selective and hypothesized that Q5 5'-flanking DNA had a key role in tumor-selective transcription.


METHODS
Isolation of 3.9 kb Q5 5'-flanking DNA was carried out and the sequence characteristics determined. Reporter plasmids, recombinant reporter adenoviruses and recombinant reporter lentiviruses were prepared that contained the Q5 5'-flanking DNA fragments of various lengths. Expression of these reporter genes was examined in various murine cells in vitro and in vivo and in various human cells in vitro.


RESULTS
Adenovirus vectors that had Q5 5'-flanking DNA contained a regulatory region and induced tumor cell-specific gene expression not only in mouse cells but also in human cells.


CONCLUSIONS
Our newly constructed vector system could be utilized in gene therapy of human cancer.
Medinet Medical Institute, Medinet Co., Ltd., Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
Eri
E
Kuwada
Katsuo
K
Noguchi
Kenji
K
Hasezawa
Kohji
K
Egawa
D024506:5' Flanking Region; D000256:Adenoviridae / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D005805:Genes, MHC Class I; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D006801:Humans; D016086:Lentivirus / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009928:Organ Specificity; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012045:Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D023041:Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays