Use of the 5'-flanking region of the mouse perforin gene to express human Fcγ receptor I in cytotoxic T lymphocytes

Abstract

Expression of the gene encoding the cytolytic granule protein perforin is restricted to cytotoxic lymphocytes. To undertake a functional analysis of the immediate 5'-promoter region of the mouse perforin gene, we transiently transfected mouse perforin promoter-chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) reporter gene constructs into cytotoxic T, T lymphoid, B-lymphoid, and nonlymphoid cell lines. The transcriptional activity of the perforin promoter was restricted to cytotoxic lymphocytes. The perforin promoter was controlled by several positive (in perforin-positive cells and negative (in perforin-negative cells) cis-acting regions, spread over at least 1.1 kilobases. The most specific expressi..