GATA binding protein 4, also known as GATA4, it is a 46 kDa member of the GATA family of zinc-finger transcription factors. Members of this family is involved in the development of cardiac hypertrophy and remodeling, and plays a critical role in regulating basal and agonist or stress induced gene expression in cardiac and smooth muscle cell types. These factors recognize the GATA motif which is present in the promoters of many genes. GATA4 contains a conserved MAPK phosphorylation site at serine 105 within the transcriptional activation domain. Serine 105 of GATA4 is phosphorylated in response to agonist stimulation through MEK 1 ERK1 / 2, and weakly through JNK or p38 MAPKs. GATA4 is thought to regulate genes involved in embryogenesis and in myocardial differentiation and function. Mutations in this gene have been associated with cardiac septal defects.
