Abstract
We developed a highly sensitive procedure for assaying chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) enzyme activity in extracts of eukaryotic cells transfected with the CAT gene expression vector, by modification of the partition extraction procedure described by Sleigh [Anal. Biochem. 156, 251-256 (1986)]. The sensitivity of the new method was improved 100-fold on commercial purified enzyme. In routine measurements with cell extracts a CAT activity as low as 1.3×10-4 unit could be measured within an error of less than 30%. The CAT enzyme expressions in undifferentiated human promyelocytic leukemic cell line HL-60 from typical gene promoters could be measured by the new method and compared to select a stronger promoter. Similar measurements were made with more mature monocytic THP-1 cells to evaluate the change in the promoter activity with cell maturation. Differentiation induction with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) activated transcription from the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) promoter about 10-fold in HL-60 cells, as expected, but the level was less than that in untreated THP-1 cells. In addition, a similar activation was observed in THP-1 cells as well.
