HuC encodes an RNA binding protein homologous to Drosophila elav that serves as an
excellent early marker for differentiating neurons. We have characterized the promoter of the
zebrafish HuC gene by examining the ability of 5′-upstream fragments to drive expression
of green fluorescent protein (GFP) in live embryos. We determined that 2.8 kb of the 5′-
flanking sequence is sufficient to restrict GFP gene expression to neurons. The core
promoter spans 251 base pairs and contains a CCAAT box and one SP1 sequence but no …

Abstract The Hu antigen C (HuC) gene encodes an RNA binding protein with neuron-
specific expression. The promoter of this gene was studied using expression of the green
fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter gene in zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos. 2.8 kb of the 5′
flanking sequence was sufficient to give neuron-specific expression. The core promoter
consisted of 251 bp and contained a CCAAT box and an SP1 site but lacked a TATA box. A
myelin transcription factor 1 (MyT1) binding site and at least 17 enhancer (E) boxes were …