Retinoic acid response elements and assays employing same

A substantially pure DNA construct comprising:

• 1) asteroid hormone receptor response element having the sequence:
• 5'--NNNNNN--(N--NNNNNN).sub.x --3'
• wherein each --NNNNNN-- is a half site, --N-- is a spacer nucleotide, and X is 3,
• wherein nucleotides at positions 4, 5, and 6 in each half site are nucleotides T, C, and A, respectively, each half site has at least 5 nucleotides corresponding to the sequence --AGGTCA--, and at least two of the half sites are directly tandemly repeated, and
• 2) a heterologous promoter,
• wherein the response element is operatively linked to said heterologous promoter.

A substantially pure DNA construct comprising:

• 1) asteroid hormone receptor response element having the sequence:
• 5'--NNNNNN--(N--NNNNNN).sub.x --3'
• wherein each --NNNNNN-- is a half site, --N-- is a spacer nucleotide, and X is 2,
• wherein nucleotides at positions 4, 5, and 6 in each half site are nucleotides T, C, and A, respectively, each half site has at least 5 nucleotides corresponding to the sequence --AGGTCA--, and at least two of the half sites are directly tanderaly repeated, and
• 2) a heterologous promoter,
• wherein the response element is operatively linked to said heterologous promoter.

A substantially pure DNA construct comprising:

• 1) asteroid hormone receptor response element having the sequence:
• 5'--NNNNNN--N--NNNNNN--3'
• wherein each --NNNNNN-- is a half site, --N-- is a spacer nucleotide,
• wherein nucleotides at positions 4, 5, and 6 in each half site are nucleotides T, C, and A, respectively, each half site has at least 5 nucleotides corresponding to the sequence --AGGTCA--, and said half sites are tandemly repeated, and
• 2) a heterologous promoter,
• wherein the response element is operatively linked to said heterologous promoter.

A substantially pure DNA construct comprising:

• 1) asteroid hormone receptor response element having the sequence:
• 5'--NNNNNN--(N--NNNNNN).sub.x --3'
• wherein each --NNNNNN-- is a half site, --N-- is a spacer nucleotide, and X is 1-4,
• wherein the half sites are selected from the group consisting of AGGTCA, AGTTCA, CTGTCA, ATTTCA, ATGTCA, CGGTCA, AGCTCA, AGGCCA, AGGTGA, AGGTTA, AGGTCC, and ATGTCG and
• wherein at least two of the half sites are directly tandemly repeated, and
• 2) a heterologous promoter,
• wherein the response element is operatively linked to said heterologous promoter.