LENS-PREFERRED ACTIVITY OF THE -1809 +46 MOUSE ALPHA-A-CRYSTALLIN PROMOTER IN STABLY INTEGRATED CHROMATIN/

The alpha A-crystallin gene is expressed in a highly lens preferred ma nner. Here we show that the mouse alpha A-crystallin - 1809/+46 promot er fragment displays lens-preferred activity in transgenic mice and in stably transfected lens cells. These findings are in contrast to the lack of activity of this promoter previously reported in transiently t ransfected lens cells. Our current findings suggest that the -1809/+46 mouse alpha A-crystallin promoter functions in a lens preferred manne r when stably integrated into chromatin.