title: FOG-2, a heart- and brain-enriched cofactor for GATA transcription factors.
abstract: Members of the GATA family of zinc finger transcription factors have been shown to play important roles in the control of gene expression in a variety of cell types. GATA-1, -2, and -3 are expressed primarily in hematopoietic cell lineages and are required for proliferation and differentiation of multiple hematopoietic cell types, whereas GATA-4, -5, and -6 are expressed in the heart, where they activate cardiac muscle structural genes. Friend of GATA-1 (FOG) is a multitype zinc finger protein that interacts with GATA-1 and serves as a cofactor for GATA-1-mediated transcription. FOG is coexpressed with GATA-1 in developing erythroid and megakaryocyte cell lineages and cooperates with GATA-1 to control erythropoiesis. We describe a novel FOG-related factor, FOG-2, that is expressed predominantly in the developing and adult heart, brain, and testis. FOG-2 interacts with GATA factors, and interaction of GATA-4 and FOG-2 results in either synergistic activation or repression of GATA-dependent cardiac promoters, depending on the specific promoter and the cell type in which they are tested. The properties of FOG-2 suggest its involvement in the control of cardiac and neural gene expression by GATA transcription factors.
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D019556:COS Cells; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology*; D016208:Databases, Factual; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D020224:Expressed Sequence Tags; D050991:GATA4 Transcription Factor; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008957:Models, Genetic; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D051381:Rats; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013737:Testis / Q000378:metabolism; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014162:Transfection; D016335:Zinc Fingers / Q000235:genetics