Human 17 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (17HSD type 1) catalyzes primarily the reductive reaction of estrone to the biologically more active form, estradiol. The enzyme is highly expressed in the human placenta and the ovary and, in addition, in certain estrogen target cells, such as breast epithelial cells. To elucidate the transcriptional control of the EDH17B2 gene, the gene encoding 17HSD type 1, we fused a series of 5'-deletion mutants of the EDH17B2 gene into chloramphenicol acetyl transferase reporter gene vectors. An enhancer region was identified within the bases -661 to -392 and it increased, in both orientations, thymidine kinase promoter activity more than 200-fold in JEG-3 choriocarcinoma cells. This enhancer region was also functional in another choriocarcinoma cell line, JAR, although to a lesser extent. In BT-20 and T-47D breast cancer cells the enhancer region increased thymidine kinase promoter activity to some degree but not as efficiently as expected on the basis of endogenous enzyme expression. No such enhancer activity was observed in 17HSD type 1 nonexpressing cell lines. The retinoic acid responsive element, which was located between bases -503 and -487 in the EDH17B2 enhancer, bound retinoid acid receptor alpha retinoid X receptor alpha complex and transmitted retinoic acid induction on transcription in JEG-3 and T-47D cells. Finally, a silencer, functional in all the cell lines tested, was localized in the region from -392 to -78. Deletion of the region lad to a 4-fold increase in reporter gene expression. Altogether, our findings suggest that transcriptional control of the EDH17B2 gene is coordinated by the cell-specific enhancer and the silencer.