GATA3 and the T-cell lineage: essential functions before and after T-helper-2-cell differentiation.
Many advances in our understanding of the molecules that regulate the development, differentiation and function of T cells have been made over the past few years. One important regulator of T-cell differentiation is the transcription factor GATA-binding protein 3 (GATA3). Although the main function of GATA3 is to act as a master transcription factor for the differentiation of T helper 2 (T(H)2) cells, new research has helped to uncover crucial functions of GATA3 in T cells that go beyond T(H)2-cell differentiation and that are important at earlier stages of haematopoietic and lymphoid-cell development. This Review focuses on the functions of GATA3 from early thymocyte development to effector T-cell differentiation. In addition, we discuss the interactions between GATA3 and other transcription factors and signalling pathways, and highlight the functional significance of the GATA3 protein structure.
Ho
I-Cheng
IC
Division of Rheumatology, Immunology and Allergy, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA. iho@partners.org
Tai
Tzong-Shyuan
TS
Pai
Sung-Yun
SY
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D019070:Cell Lineage / Q000276:immunology*; D050990:GATA3 Transcription Factor / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D038041:Lymphopoiesis; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D015398:Signal Transduction; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000276:immunology
D050990:GATA3 Transcription Factor