Recently, we demonstrated that a DNA-binding protein(s) is involved in
transcriptional repression of the rat serine dehydratase gene in feta
l liver. Here, we report that a GAT(A/T) motif is the target sequence
for the DNA-binding protein. By screening a fetal liver cDNA library,
we isolated a rat homolog of GATA-1. Rat GATA-1 expressed as a GST-fus
ion protein in E. coli bound to the GAT(A/T) motif in the serine dehyd
ratase gene. Northern analysis show that GATA-1 and GATA-4 mRNAs are e
xpressed in fetal hepatocytes.