Abstract: | A 1.4‐kb human α1‐proteinase inhibitor (α1‐PI) 5′‐flanking sequence fused to the E. coli LacZ gene was used to generate transgenic mice. The 1.4‐kb α1‐PI fragment was found to target LacZ expression preferentially in the epithelium and stroma of the mouse cornea, and moderately or weakly in white blood cells and a few other tissues, such as the skin and brain. This finding implies that the α1‐PI promoter may offer an option for targeting foreign genes in both the epithelial and stromal layers of the cornea in future transgenic experiments. Anat Rec 266:5–9, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc. |