The role of GATA family transcriptional factors in haematological malignancies: A review.

GATA transcriptional factors are zinc finger DNA binding proteins that regulate transcription during development and cell differentiation. The 3 important GATA transcription factors GATA1, GATA2 and GATA3 play essential role in the development and maintenance of hematopoietic systems. GATA1 is required for the erythroid and Megakaryocytic commitment during hematopoiesis. GATA2 is crucial for the proliferation and survival of early hematopoietic cells, and is also involved in lineage specific transcriptional regulation as the dynamic partner of GATA1. GATA3 plays an essential role in T lymphoid cell development and immune regulation. As a result, mutations in gene encoding the GATA transcription factor or alteration in the protein expression level or their function have been linked to a variety of human haematological malignancies. This review presents a summary of recent understanding of how the disrupted biological function of GATA may contribute to hematologic diseases.