THE TRANSCRIPTIONAL CONTROL REGION OF THE HUMAN CARCINOEMBRYONIC ANTIGEN GENE - DNA-SEQUENCE AND HOMOLOGY STUDIES

Phage clones containing human carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) 5' flanki ng sequences were isolated from a chromosome 19 genomic library. The c lones were confirmed to contain CEA sequences flanking the CEA transcr iptional start site by restriction endonuclease mapping, PCR analysis, and sequence determination. Restriction endonuclease mapping determin ed that the clones spanned approximately 26 kbp of contiguous sequence from 14 kbp 5' to 12 kbp 3' of the CEA transcriptional start. The DNA sequence of a 11,288 bp Hind III/Sau 3A restriction endonuclease frag ment was determined. This sequence extends from 10.7 kbp 5' to 0.6 kbp 3' of the transcriptional start. This sequence was analyzed for the p resence of consensus transcriptional regulatory sequences, repetitive sequences, and other features. Several transcriptional regulatory cons ensus sequences were identified. These consensus sequences may have si gnificance for the transcriptional regulation of CEA,