Fig. 11. C/EBP regulates Foxa2 in vitro and in vivo. FOXA2 mRNA levels were decreased in lungs from Cebpa^/ mice (A). Total lung RNA was prepared from fetal mouse lung at E18.5 from dams that were treated with doxycycline from E0 to E18.5. RNase protection assay was used to estimate FOXA2 and ribosomal protein L32 mRNA. Protected fragments were standardized to the internal control L32 and normalized to control littermates. (B,C) HeLa (B) and H441 (C) cells were transfected with reporter plasmid pGL3-Foxa2p1.6 with increasing amounts of expression plasmid pCMV5-C/EBP. FOXA2 promoter activity was determined by relative luciferase activity and normalized for co-transfection using ß-galactosidase. Plasmid pcDNA was used as an empty control. Activation of FOXA2-luciferase construct by C/EBP was dose dependent in both HeLa and H441 cells. ^*P<0.05 versus control.