A COMPOSITE CMV-IE ENHANCER BETA-ACTIN PROMOTER IS UBIQUITOUSLY EXPRESSED IN MOUSE CUTANEOUS EPITHELIUM

In most existing transgenic mouse models developed for the study of sp ecific genes in the skin, the goal has been to target transgene expres sion to defined populations of cells in the cutaneous epithelium. Kera tin promoters have been especially useful for this purpose. In some in stances, however, it may be desirable to express a transgene in all th e cells of the cutaneous epithelium, Since no ubiquitously expressed p romoter sequences had previously been identified, we used lacZ reporte r transgenes to test two enhancer/promoter sequences for ubiquitous ex pression in the skin of adult transgenic mice, We find that a CMV enha ncer/CMV promoter is not active in most cell types in the skin, wherea s a CMV enhancer/modified beta-actin promoter sequence is active in th e suprabasal and basal cells of the epidermis as well as in the epithe lial cells of the hair follicles, sebaceous glands, and the dermal pap illae. (C) 1998 Academic Press.