Critical roles for transcription factor GATA-3 in thymocyte development.
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.
Pai
Sung-Yun
SY
Department of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
Truitt
Morgan L
ML
Ting
Chao-Nan
CN
Leiden
Jeffrey M
JM
Glimcher
Laurie H
LH
Ho
I-Cheng
IC
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*
D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D050990:GATA3 Transcription Factor; C494748:Gata3 protein, mouse; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; D015534:Trans-Activators