The GATA family of transcription factors, which contain zinc fingers in their DNA binding domain, have emerged as
candidate regulators of gene expression in hematopoietic cells. GATA2 is expressed in hematopoietic progenitors, including early erythroid cells, mast cells, and megakaryocytes, and also
in nonhematopoietic embryonic stem cells.
General function
DNA binding, Transcription factor
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Cellular localization
Nuclear
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Ovarian function
Germ cell development
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Expression regulated by
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Ovarian localization
Primordial Germ Cell
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Siggers P, et al 2002 reported sexually dimorphic expression of Gata-2 during mouse gonad
development.
Gata-2 transcripts accumulate rapidly in the fetal ovary from 11.5
days post coitum (dpc) onwards, but are not detected in the fetal testis throughout the
period studied (10.5-15.5 dpc). Ovarian expression of Gata-2 ceases by 15.5 dpc.
Examination of ovaries from embryos homozygous for the extreme allele of
c-kit(W(e)) (Nature, 335, 88; Cell, 55, 185) demonstrates that ovarian Gata-2
expression is dependent upon the presence of germ cells. Comparative in situ
hybridisation using the germ cell marker Oct4 (EMBO J., 8, 2543) indicates that
Gata-2 transcripts are restricted to the germ cell lineage at 13.5 dpc.