The murine SP-C promoter directs type II cell-specific expression in transgenic mice

• Published in: American journal of physiology. Lung cellular and molecular physiology 2005-04, Vol.32 (4), p.L625-L632
• Main Authors: GLASSER, Stephan W, ESZTERHAS, Susan K, DETMER, Emily A, MAXFIELD, Melissa D, KORFHAGEN, Thomas R
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Cells; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gene expression; Genes; Respiratory system; Rodents; Vertebrates: respiratory system
• ISSN: 1040-0605; 1522-1504

Genomic DNA from the mouse pulmonary surfactant protein C (SP-C) gene was analyzed in transgenic mice to identify DNA essential for alveolar type II cell-specific expression. SP-C promoter constructs extending either 13 or 4.8 kb upstream of the transcription start site directed lung-specific expression of the bacterial chloramphenicol acetyl transferase (CAT) reporter gene. In situ hybridization analysis demonstrated alveolar cell-specific expression in the lungs of adult transgenic mice, and the pattern of 4.8 SP-C-CAT expression during development paralleled that of the endogenous SP-C gene. With the use of deletion constructs, lung-specific, low-level CAT activity was detected in tissue assays of SP-C-CAT transgenic mice retaining 318 bp of the promoter. In transient and stable cell transfection experiments, the 4.8-kb SP-C promoter was 90-fold more active as a stably integrated gene. These findings indicate that 1) the 4.8-kb SP-C promoter is sufficient to direct cell-specific and developmental expression, 2) an enhancer essential for lung-specific expression maps to the proximal 318-bp promoter, and 3) the activity of the 4.8-kb SP-C promoter construct is highly dependent on its chromatin environment. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]