Murine erythroleukemia cells contain two distinct GATA-binding proteins that have different patterns of expression during cellular differentiation.

GATA-1 is a major transcription factor of the erythroid lineage that has been implicated in the induced expression of a variety of red cell-specific genes during terminal differentiation of murine erythroleukemia cells. Although the GATA-1 protein is present at nearly equal levels before and after differentiation of murine erythroleukemia cells, in this study it was found that in the early commitment stages of the differentiation program there is a transient decrease in the GATA-1 mRNA and DNA binding activity levels due to a temporary block in transcription of the gene. Moreover, using a whole cell extraction procedure it was discovered that murine erythroleukemia cells contain a second GATA binding activity (denoted GATA-rel) which appears to be distinct from the GATA-1 factor based on its non-reactivity to two GATA-1 antisera. This protein has a limited tissue specificity, as it could not be detected in extracts from CHO, NIH 3T3, or COS cells. Similarly to the GATA-1 DNA-binding activity, the GATA-rel activity decreased during the early stages of differentiation. However, unlike GATA-1, GATA-rel activity did not return to pre-induced levels at later times. These results suggest that changes in gene expression during erythroid terminal differentiation may involve an interplay on levels of different GATA-binding factors.