Xenobiotic response elements (XRE) from human CYP1A1 gene enhance the hTERT promoter activity

A hybrid 6XRE-hTERT promoter consisting of the hTERT tumor-specific promoter and six copies of the XRE element from the CYP1A1 human gene promoter was created. Using a human lung cancer cells as a model, we showed that XRE elements in the hybrid promoter greatly increase the activity of the hTERT promoter and ensure the reporter gene transcriptional activation in response to the treatment of the cells with the AhR ligand benzo(a)pyrene. However, similar effects were also observed in normal human bronchial epithelial cells HBEpC, which indicates the loss of the tumor-specific activity by the 6XRE-hTERT hybrid promoter. XRE elements can be used for nonspecific transcription enhancement but are unsuitable for the creation of tumor-specific promoters with enhanced activity.