Hoechst Aktiengesellschaft

Ciba-geigy Corporation

Boehringer Mannheim Gmbh

Walter Schaffner

Bernhard W Fleckenstein

Gerhard Jahn

Frank Weber

Michael Boshart

Karoline Dorsch-Hasler

Nils G Westin

Karoline Dorsch-H&auml;sler

Ulrich H Koszinowski

Gunther M Keil

An enhancer has been located in the upstream region of the major immediate early gene of human cytomegalovirus and has been isolated, which enhancer is more active than that from SV40 and has a wide host cell spectrum. Hence, it is suitable for eukaryotic expression systems wherein it can be incorporated upstream or downstream of the structural gene or of the regulation region.

Enhancer for eukaryotic expression systems

The present invention provides a eukaryotic expression vector containing a gene to be expressed and a TATA box, whereby, 1-200 bp base pair (bp) upstream (5') of the TATA box, there is a first multimeric enhancer segment and 1-100 bp below (3') the gene to be expressed there is provided a second multimeric enhancer segment. The present invention also provides a process for the preparation of this expression vector. Furthermore, the present invention is concerned with the use of this expression vector.

Eukaryotic expression vectors with multimeric enhancer segments, a

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) molecules consisting of or recombinant DNA molecules containing transcription enhancers from murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) which can be used to enhance the transcription of structural genes in eukaryotic cells.

Deoxyribonucleic acid segment from a virus

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Weiningen, Switzerland

Walter Schaffner