Cell-specific expression of the human gastrin gene: evidence for a control element located downstream of the TATA box

Fragments of 5'-flanking and noncoding exon I sequences of the human gastrin gene were analyzed in transient expression assays after transfection of a variety of cell lines with the pSVCAT vector system. In the presence of the simian virus 40 (SV40) enhancer, the gastrin gene fragment from nucleotides -250 to +57, relative to the cap site, was as efficient a promoter as the SV40 early promoter itself. In the absence of the SV40 enhancer, gastrin gene 5'-flanking sequences had no promoter activity except in the murine neuroblastoma cell line N18TG2. In this cell line, the fragment from -1300 to +57 stimulated transcription as actively as the SV40 early promoter with its enhancer. This cell-specific gastrin gene promoter activity was in accordance with the finding that gastrin is synthesized in certain neuronal cells. Promoter activity declined with decreasing distance from the 5' end to the cap site and disappeared after removal of the gastrin gene TATA box. In vector constructions containing short vector-linker sequences homologous to a functionally important region of the SV40 enhancer, the gastrin gene fragment from -17 to +57 showed considerable promoter activity, exclusively in N18TG2. It is concluded that the truncated gastrin gene promoter plus the first exon contains a cell-specific element that may act in collaboration with upstream elements to facilitate the accumulation of transcripts.