title: Critical roles for transcription factor GATA-3 in thymocyte development.
abstract: The transcription factor GATA-3 is expressed at every stage of thymic development, but its role in thymocyte differentiation is unknown. The fact that RAG chimeric animals lacking GATA-3 cannot generate early thymocytes from common lymphoid progenitors has thus far precluded investigation of the function of GATA-3 in the thymus. To address this, we generated mice deficient in GATA-3 at early and late stages of thymic differentiation. Our studies revealed that GATA-3 is involved in beta selection and is indispensable for single-positive CD4 thymocyte development. Thus, our data demonstrate that the coordinated and regulated expression of GATA-3 at each stage of thymic development is critical for the generation of mature T cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Sung-Yun
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Pai
authors.forename: Morgan L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Truitt
authors.forename: Chao-Nan
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Ting
authors.forename: Jeffrey M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Leiden
authors.forename: Laurie H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Glimcher
authors.forename: I-Cheng
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Ho
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000172:deficiency / Q000378:metabolism*; D050990:GATA3 Transcription Factor; D051379:Mice; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000172:deficiency; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000378:metabolism*; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000172:deficiency / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D050990:GATA3 Transcription Factor; C494748:Gata3 protein, mouse; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; D015534:Trans-Activators