We found that the expression of human platelet-activating factor receptor (PAFR) gene is differentially regulated by estrogen and TGF-beta 1. Primer extension analysis revealed that the levels of the PAFR transcript 2 were increased by estrogen, but decreased by TGF-beta 1 in the human stomach cancer cell line (JR-St cells) which expressed both functional endogenous PAFR transcript 1 (leukocyte-type) and transcript 2 (tissue-type). Both ligands did not affect the expression of intrinsic PAFR transcript 1. Furthermore, the response elements to estrogen and TGF-beta 1 in the PAFR promoter 2 were delineated by a transient expression assay using the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) gene as a reporter in this cell line. A negative response element for TGF-beta 1 was mapped on the sequence from -90 bp to -81 bp, which has consensus sequence for TIE (TGF-beta 1 inhibitory element). Although consensus estrogen response element (AGGTCAnnnTGACCT) is not present in this promoter, the entire sequence comprising two AGGTCA half motifs spaced by 153 bp (from -257 bp to -93 bp) conferred weak but significant estrogen responsiveness. Thus, through these elements in the PAFR promoter 2, estrogen and TGF-beta 1 may regulate the PAFR gene to achieve a tissue-specific expression.