Hepatocyte nuclear factor 3 alpha belongs to a gene family in mammals that is homologous to the Drosophila homeotic gene fork head.
By analysis of cDNA clones that cross-hybridized with a portion of the cDNA encoding the recently described rat protein hepatocyte nuclear factor 3 alpha (HNF-3 alpha, previously called HNF-3A), we now describe two additional members, HNF-3 beta and HNF-3 gamma, of this gene family. A 110-amino-acid region in the DNA-binding domain of this family is not only very highly conserved in rodents (HNF-3 alpha, -3 beta, and -3 gamma are identical in 93 of 110 amino acids in this region) but also in Drosophila where the homeotic gene fork head has 88 of the 93 residues that are identical in the three rat genes. The HNF-3 family in rodents is expressed in cells that derive from the lining of the primitive gut; some of the embryonic Drosophila cells in which fork head is expressed also give rise to gut and salivary glands. Thus, it appears that this gene family, the DNA-binding portion of which is unlike that of any previously recognized DNA-binding proteins, may contribute to differentiation of cells in internal organs in both vertebrates and invertebrates.
Lai
E
E
Division of Endocrinology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York 10021.
Prezioso
V R
VR
Tao
W F
WF
Chen
W S
WS
Darnell
J E
JE
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D004330:Drosophila / Q000235:genetics*; D005801:Genes, Homeobox; D051541:Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 3-alpha; D051542:Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 3-beta; D051543:Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 3-gamma; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D051381:Rats; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics*
D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C496501:Foxa1 protein, rat; C496504:Foxa2 protein, rat; C496507:Foxa3 protein, rat; D051541:Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 3-alpha; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D051543:Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 3-gamma; D051542:Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 3-beta; D004247:DNA