GATA1 Function, a Paradigm for Transcription Factors in Hematopoiesis

Abstract

HEMATOPOIESISThe development of mature blood cells of distinct lineages, from the hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), involves a progressive restriction of differentiation potential and the establishment of lineage-specific gene expression profiles (Fig. 1).The establishment of these expression profiles relies on lineagespecific transcription factors to modulate the expression of their target genes.Therefore, hematopoiesis is an excellent model system to investigate how particular transcription factors influence the establishment of lineage-specific expression profiles and how their activity is regulated.In this review we focus on the present knowledge of the biological functions of the hematopoietic transcription factor GATA1.Many aspects of its function have been revealed since its first description in 1988.Yet many new questions have surfaced, and many old questions remain to be answered.Thus, GATA1 has been in the floodlight of modern biology as a paradigm for hematopoietic transcription factors in general and GATA factors in particular.