The gene for rat cholecystokinin (CCK) was isolated from a rat genomic DNA library. The transcription unit spans 7 kilobases and is interrupted by two introns. The initiator methionine codon lies 2 bases into exon 2; therefore, exon 1 is a noncoding exon. The transcription initiation site was determined using avian myeloblastosis reverse transcriptase, a cDNA primer, and mRNA isolated from a rat medullary thyroid carcinoma. A "TATA"-like sequence precedes the transcription initiation site at position -34. The polyadenylation site for the gene was mapped by a nuclease protection assay using a cRNA generated by transcription of the exon 3 region of the CCK gene with SP6 bacteriophage RNA polymerase. The sequence AT-TAAA is found 22 bases 5' to the site determined to be the polyadenylation addition site. Two regions of simple repetitive DNA occur within the CCK lambda clone, one within intron 2 and the other 4 kilobases 3' to the gene. Sequence analysis of the repetitive element 3' distal to the gene revealed two copies of the sequence 5'-(AC)n-3', where n is 22 and 25. A 114-base pair sequence of predominantly repeating purine-pyrimidine nucleotides separates these two d(AC) repeats. Transcriptional control elements were investigated by fusing regions of the CCK gene to the structural gene encoding chloramphenicol acetyltransferase. Promoter activity was determined by transfecting COS-7 cells with plasmids containing the gene fusions, followed by determining chloramphenicol acetyltransferase activity in cellular extracts. The region necessary for expression of the CCK gene fusions in COS-7 cells is within 144 bases 5' to the initiation of transcription.