Billet O, Grimber G, Levrero M, Seye K A, Briand P, Joulin V
Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U-380, Institut Cochin de Génétique Moléculaire, Paris, France.
J Virol. 1995 Sep;69(9):5912-6. doi: 10.1128/JVI.69.9.5912-5916.1995.
The contribution of the hepatitis B virus enhancers I and II in the regulation of the activity of the core and the X promoters was assessed in transgenic mice. Surprisingly, despite the presence of heterologous promoters linked 5' of the X gene, the transgene expression is mostly due to core promoter (Cp) activity present in the X coding sequence. Moreover, the restriction of Cp activity to hepatic tissue required the combined action of both enhancers I and II, whereas the proximity of these two enhancers was insufficient to confer tissue specificity on Xp activity. Furthermore, the liver-specific activity of the Cp was developmentally regulated in an enhancer I-independent manner.