title: A role for GATA-6 in vertebrate chondrogenesis.
abstract: The GATA family of transcription factors are known to play multiple critical roles in vertebrate developmental processes, including erythropoiesis, endoderm formation and cardiogenesis. There have been no previous demonstrations of a functional role for any GATA family member being associated with musculoskeletal development but we now identify a possible role for GATA-6 in chondrogenesis. We detect abundant levels of GATA-6 mRNA in precartilaginous condensations (PCCs) in both the axial and appendicular skeleton of mouse embryos and in committed primary chondrocyte precursors. We also show that the G-protein coupled receptor, Gpr49, is a target of GATA-6 regulation in differentiating embryonal carcinoma cells and that, in vivo, the expression domains of the two genes overlap within PCCs. Finally, we have identified conserved, canonical GATA binding sites within the Gpr49 gene locus, and show by EMSAs that GATA-6 can bind to these sites in vitro. These data therefore suggest that GATA-6 also plays a role in chondrogenesis and that Gpr49 is a potential direct target of GATA regulation in this process.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, King's College London, London SE5 9NU, UK.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alexandrovich
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Qureishi
authors.forename: Amélie E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Coudert
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Agamemnon E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Grigoriadis
authors.forename: Ajay M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: Alison C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Brewer
authors.forename: John A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Pizzey
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002356:Cartilage / Q000196:embryology*; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000502:physiology; D020219:Chondrogenesis / Q000502:physiology*; D017931:DNA Primers; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000502:physiology; D050993:GATA6 Transcription Factor / Q000235:genetics*; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D051379:Mice; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000235:genetics; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / Q000502:physiology; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014162:Transfection; D014714:Vertebrates / Q000196:embryology*
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D050993:GATA6 Transcription Factor; C494760:Gata6 protein, mouse; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled