| First Author | Lawson MA | Year | 1996 |
| Journal | Mol Cell Biol | Volume | 16 |
| Issue | 7 | Pages | 3596-605 |
| PubMed ID | 8668176 | Mgi Jnum | J:47218 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:1202796 | Doi | 10.1128/mcb.16.7.3596 |
| Citation | Lawson MA, et al. (1996) GATA factors are essential for activity of the neuron-specific enhancer of the gonadotropin- releasing hormone gene. Mol Cell Biol 16(7):3596-605 |
| abstractText | The multicomponent neuron-specific enhancer of the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) gene specifically targets expression to the GnRH-secreting neurons of the hypothalamus, a small population of specialized cells which play a central role in regulating reproductive function. Utilizing the GnRH-secreting hypothalamic neuronal cell line, GT1, as a model system, we show that members of the GATA family of transcription factors regulate GnRH transcription through two GATA factor-binding motifs that occur in a tandem repeat within the GnRH neuron-specific enhancer. Although GT1 cells contain GATA-2 and GATA-4 mRNAs, only GATA-4 was detected in a GnRH enhancer GATA site-specific complex. Cotransfection experiments with wild-type and mutant GnRH enhancer reporter plasmids with wild-type and dominant negative GATA factor expression vectors demonstrated that both GATA-binding elements are functional in the context of the enhancer. We conclude that GATA-binding proteins are important factors in regulating the neuron- specific expression of the GnRH gene in hypothalamic cells. Although the presence of GATA-2 in a neuronal cell type is not unusual, the presence of GATA-4 in GT1 cells is novel for a neuronal cell type. However, the presence of GATA-4 is consistent with the unique developmental origin of GnRH neurons and may provide insight into the transcriptional mechanisms mediating the differentiation of this limited population of GnRH-secreting neurons. |
