GATA transcription factors: Basic principles and related human disorders

The development of mature blood cell from hematopoietic stem cells is regulated by transcription factors that coordinate the expression of lineage-specific genes. GATA transcription factors are zinc finger DNA-binding proteins that play crucial roles in various biological processes, including hematopoiesis. Among GATA family proteins, GATA-1, GATA-2, and GATA-3 are essential for hematopoiesis. GATA-1 functions to promote development of erythrocytes, megakaryocytes, eosinophils, and mast cells. Mutations in GATA-1 are associated with acute megakaryoblastic leukemia (AMKL), congenital erythroid hypoplasia (Diamond-Blackfan anemia; DBA), and X-linked anemia and/or thrombocytopenia. Conversely, GATA-2 functions early in hematopoiesis and is required for maintenance and expansion of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and/or multipotent progenitors. GATA-2 mutations are associated with immunodeficiency, lymphedema, myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), and leukemia. Furthermore, decreased GATA-2 expression may contribute to the pathophysiology of aplastic anemia. GATA-3 has an important role in T cell development, and has been suggested to be involved in the pathophysiology of acute lymphoblastic leukemias. This review summarizes current knowledge on hematological disorders associated with GATA-1 and GATA-2 mutations.