The 5' end and promoter region of the a-subunit gene of chicken muscle acetylcholine receptor was mapped and sequenced. It includes a TATA and a CAAT box and a potential Spl-binding site. When inserted in front of the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene, this promoter (including 850 base pairs of upstream sequence) directed high transient chloramphenicol acetyltransferase expression in transfected mouse C2.7 myotubes but not in C2.7 myoblasts or nonmyogenic 3T6 cells.The genes encoding the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AChR) of vertebrate muscle (and the closely related electric organ of some fishes) have recently been cloned from several species (reviewed in reference 41) and constitute a system of choice for studying the control of gene expression in higher eucaryotes. Indeed, muscle AChR is made up of four subunits assembled in an a243Y5 pentamer (9, 41), and one
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