The GATA family (vertebrates and invertebrates)

• Published in: Current Opinion in Genetics & Development Vol. 12; no. 4; pp. 416 - 422
• Main Authors: Patient, Roger K, McGhee, James D
• Format: Book Review Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.08.2002
• Subjects: Animals; Biological Evolution; blood; DNA-Binding Proteins - genetics; DNA-Binding Proteins - metabolism; Drosophila - genetics; ectoderm; endoderm; Endoderm - metabolism; FOG; heart; Invertebrates - genetics; Mesoderm - metabolism; Multigene Family; Muscle, Smooth - metabolism; Myocardium - metabolism; NFAT; NK homeodomain; signalling; SRF; transcription; Vertebrates - embryology; Vertebrates - genetics; endoderm; transcription; SRF; ectoderm; blood; heart; NFAT; Development; Evolution; Genetics; NK homeodomain; signalling; FOG
• ISSN: 0959-437X; 1879-0380
• DOI: 10.1016/S0959-437X(02)00319-2

Over the past year, vertebrate GATA factors have been found to participate directly in several signal-transduction pathways. Smad3, phosphorylated by TGF-β signalling, interacts with GATA3 to induce differentiation of T helper cells. Hypertrophic stimuli act through RhoA GTPase and ROCK kinase to activate GATA4 in cardiac myocytes. In the liver, GATA4 is elevated by BMP and FGF signalling, and is able to bind to chromatin targets. Invertebrate GATA factors play a central role in specifying the mesendoderm. GATA factors play essential roles in development and their mechanisms of action are becoming clearer with recent data elaborating their molecular partners, including those linked to extracellular signals.