Division of Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Department of Medicine, Children's Hospital Boston, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts;
Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol. 2014 Mar;306(6):G474-90. doi: 10.1152/ajpgi.00119.2013. Epub 2014 Jan 16.
The small intestinal epithelium develops from embryonic endoderm into a highly specialized layer of cells perfectly suited for the digestion and absorption of nutrients. The development, differentiation, and regeneration of the small intestinal epithelium require complex gene regulatory networks involving multiple context-specific transcription factors. The evolutionarily conserved GATA family of transcription factors, well known for its role in hematopoiesis, is essential for the development of endoderm during embryogenesis and the renewal of the differentiated epithelium in the mature gut. We review the role of GATA factors in the evolution and development of endoderm and summarize our current understanding of the function of GATA factors in the mature small intestine. We offer perspective on the application of epigenetics approaches to define the mechanisms underlying context-specific GATA gene regulation during intestinal development.
小肠上皮由胚胎内胚层发育而来，形成一层高度特化的细胞层，非常适合消化和吸收营养物质。小肠上皮的发育、分化和再生需要涉及多个特定于上下文的转录因子的复杂基因调控网络。进化上保守的 GATA 转录因子家族以其在造血中的作用而闻名，对于胚胎发生过程中的内胚层发育和成熟肠道中分化上皮的更新是必不可少的。我们回顾了 GATA 因子在胚胎内胚层的进化和发育中的作用，并总结了我们目前对 GATA 因子在成熟小肠中的功能的理解。我们提供了关于应用表观遗传学方法来定义肠道发育过程中特定于上下文的 GATA 基因调控机制的观点。
