The bovine alpha-lactalbumin transgene with 750 bp and 336 bp of the 5' and 3' flanking region, respectively, is developmentally regulated as its endogenous counterpart in transgenic mice. Comparative expression analysis of three 5'-shortened constructs suggests that the region -477/-220 contains important cis-acting transcriptional elements. The level of expression of a long caprine alpha-lactalbumin transgene encompassing 8.5 kb and 9.5 kb of the 5' and 3' flanking region, respectively, was higher but still unrelated to the copy number. Expression of the transgenes and of endogenous milk-protein genes was tissue-specific. In contrast with a recent report, only low amounts of the relevant mRNA were detected in some skin samples, which suggests a possible contamination by mammary tissue.