title: Luciferase assay to screen tumour-specific promoters in lung cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Specific promoters could improve efficiency and ensure the safety of gene therapy. The aim of our study was to screen examples for lung cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  The firefly luciferase gene was used as a reporter, and promoters based on serum markers of lung cancer were cloned. The activity and specificity of seven promoters, comprising CEACAM5 (carcinoembryonic antigen, CEA), GRP (Gastrin-Releasing Peptide), KRT19 (cytokeratin 19, KRT), SFTPB (surfactant protein B, SP-B), SERPINB3 (Squamous Cell Carcinoma Antigen, SCCA), SELP (Selectin P, Granule Membrane Protein 140 kDa, Antigen CD62, GMP) and DKK1 (Dickkopf-1) promoters were compared in lung cancer cells to obtain cancer-specific examples with strong activity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The CEACAM5, DKK1, GRP, SELP, KRT19, SERPINB3 and SFTPB promoters were cloned. Furthermore, we successfully constructed recombinant vector pGL-CEACAM5 (DKK1, GRP, SELP, KRT19, SERPINB3 and SFTPB) contained the target gene. After cells were transfected with recombinant plasmids, we found that the order of promoter activity from high to low was SERPINB3, DKK1, SFTPB, KRT19, CEACAM5, SELP and GRP and the order for promoters regarding specificity and high potential were SERPINB3, DKK1, SELP, SFTPB, CEACAM5, KRT19 and GRP.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The approach adopted is feasible to screen for new tumour specific promoters with biomarkers. In addition, the screened lung-specific promoters might have potential for use in lung cancer targeted gene therapy research.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular Medicine, Huaqiao University, Quanzhou, China E-mail : ruianxu@hotmail.com, junxindavid@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Rong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Long-Jiang
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xin
authors.forename: Wen-Mao
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: You-Xian
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: You-Hong
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Yang-Jun
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Yong-Hua
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Ya-Qing
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Rui-An
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics*; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D006801:Humans; D008156:Luciferases / Q000378:metabolism*; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D008156:Luciferases