A cytomegalovirus immediate-early enhancer and a chicken beta actin promoter drive the expression of a mutant human elastin cDNA, an internal ribosomal entry site (IRES) and an EGFP cDNA. The mutation in human elastin is based on the major mRNA isoform in a family with autosomal dominant cutix laxa caused by a 25 base pair deletion, 2114_2138del, located in exon 30 of the elastin gene. This frameshift mutation, which is frequently subject to removal by normally occurring alternative splicing, results in the replacement of the C-terminus of tropoelastin by a missense peptide sequence of 81 amino acids.