cis-acting elements in 5'-flanking region of rat alpha-fetoprotein mediating retinoic acid responsiveness.

A distal RA responsive cis-acting element has been identified in the 5'-flanking region of the alpha-fetoprotein gene by transfection of different deletion mutants of AFP-CAT fusion gene. The retinoic acid receptor specifically binds to this RA responsive cis-acting element in mobility shift assays. Furthermore, this cis-acting element functions in exogenous TK promoter in transient cotransfection assays. This study suggests a role for the RA responsive cis-acting element in the RA induction of alpha-fetoprotein gene expression.