SV40 enhancer activation during retinoic acid-induced differentiation of F9 embryonal carcinoma cells.

The transient expression vector pSV2CAT, which carries the bacterial chloramphenicol acetyl transferase (CAT) gene under the control of the SV40 early promoter, was used to transfect the murine embryonal carcinoma cell line F9 at various times during the retinoic acid-induced differentiation of these cells. Expression of the CAT gene under SV40 promoter control was found to increase markedly on F9 cell differentiation, measured relative to expression from the thymidine kinase promoter in the same cells. A series of constructs was prepared to identify the features of the SV40 early promoter required for transcription in differentiated and undifferentiated cells, as well as the factors limiting transcription in each case. The increased transcription seen on F9 cell differentiation was not observed when cells were transfected with molecules lacking a functional enhancer. It appears that as embryonal carcinoma cells differentiate, increased SV40 transcription results from enhancer sequence activation. In both differentiated and undifferentiated cell types the level of transcription was found to be limited by the availability and/or activity of cellular factors necessary for enhancer function.