Characterization of the promoter region of human BCL-6 gene

The BCL-6 gene encodes a zinc finger-transcription factor and frequently is rearranged in diffuse large cell lymphoma. We have reported here the isolation of the 5'-flanking region of the human BCL-6 gene. Nucleotides sequence of 1.5 Kb promoter region contains TATA box but no CAAT box and a number of potential regulatory elements including CACCC, E-box, and GATA-1 sites. Studies of the promoter activity showed the first 657 nucleotides of the 5'-flanking region significantly drove transcription of the luciferase reporter gene in human Burkitt's lymphoma cell line.