Patent ID: 6051417
Filing Date: 2000-04-18
Classification: C12Q

Abstract:
A method for screening for compounds which alter expression of a prostate-specific enhancer from a human glandular kallikrein (hKLK2) gene, said method employing cells containing an expression construct, said expression construct comprising a transcriptional initiation region of a prostate specific enhancer from a human glandular kallikrein (hKLK2) gene and a promoter and a marker gene whose expression product provides a detectable signal, wherein said marker gene is under the transcriptional control of said transcriptional initiation region, and wherein the cell allows function of the transcriptional initiation region, said method comprising:(a) combining said cells with a candidate compound and incubating the cells for a sufficient time for detectable expression of said marker gene; and(b) detecting the level of expression of said marker gene as compared to the level of expression in the absence of said candidate compound,wherein an alteration in level of expression in the presence of a candidate compound as compared to expression in the absence of said candidate compound indicates that said candidate compound alters prostate-specific expression.