REGULATION OF CARDIAC GENE-EXPRESSION BY GATA-4 5/6/

The identification of nuclear regulatory proteins provides great promi se for advancing our understanding of the transcriptional control of c ardiac gene expression. Three new members of the GATA family of DNA-bi nding transcription factors were recently discovered and designated GA TA-4/5/6 On the basis of expression patterns, the identification of ca ndidate cardiac target genes and the current understanding of how othe r GATA factors function in the hematopoietic system, it appears that t hese genes are important for regulating programs of cardiac developmen t and terminal differentiation. Indeed, a functional role for GATA-4/5 /6 in activating the cardiac differentiation program was demonstrated in cell culture and embryonic systems,. however, recent results obtain ed in embryonic stem (ES) cells with a targeted mutation of GATA-4 rai se new questions regarding specificity of action among the three genes . The future direction of research in the field is discussed; understa nding GATA-4/5/6 function and regulation is likely to provide importan t insight into the specification and/or differentiation of cardiac pro genitors, development and morphogenesis of the heart, and regulation o f cardiac-specific gene expression. (C) 1997, Elsevier Science Inc.