To construct an animal model of nasopharygeal carcinoma with a nasopharynx-specific regulator, we cloned the gene YH1, which is specifically and highly expressed in human nasopharynx and trachea, through scanning high-density gene filtering. A BLAST screen against GenBank showed that this gene is a close homologue to the PLNUC gene, which is strictly expressed in mouse embryonic palate, nasal epithelium and lung and in the trachea of the adult mouse. The same result was obtained by using the polymerase chain reaction with reverse transcription. We cloned and sequenced the 5′ flanking sequence of PLUNC with a GenomeWalker kit; this new sequence has been submitted to GenBank (No. 225964). Its promoter activity was confirmed by a luciferase report gene test. The core promoter was 200 base pairs upstream from the transcription starting site. We constructed a green fluorescent protein expression vector with the new promoter, and it showed a specific expression profile in a transgenic Xenopus model. We are now using this promoter to induce the expression of the EBV-BNLF1 gene, and we will transfer this vector to mice by microinjection of fertilized pronuclear eggs.