Tissue-specific activation of a cloned alpha-fetoprotein gene during differentiation of a transfected embryonal carcinoma cell line.

To identify cis-acting DNA elements involved in the activation of the alpha-fetoprotein gene during differentiation, modified copies of the gene were introduced into murine F9 embryonal carcinoma cells. The differentiation of the transformants to either parietal or visceral endoderm was accompanied by induction of the exogenous template in a manner qualitatively, but not quantitatively, identical to that of the endogenous alpha-fetoprotein gene.