Transcription regulatory networks in Caenorhabditis elegans

Gene

Public Gene Name

elt-2  

Sequence Name

C33D3.1  

WB ID

WBGene00001250  

Description

elt-2 encodes a GATA-type transcription factor most similar to the vertebrate GATA4-6 transcription factors required for cardiac and endoderm development (OMIM:601656, 600576); in C. elegans, ELT-2 is required redundantly with ELT-7 for initiating and maintaining terminal differentiation of the intestine; ELT-2 is expressed solely in the intestine, beginning embryonically at the 2E-cell stage and continuing in all intestinal cells throughout the life of the animal; in the regulatory hierarchy controlling endoderm development, ELT-2 lies downstream of the maternal regulators SKN-1 and POP-1 and the embryonic GATA factors MED-1/-2, and END-1/-3; in turn, ELT-2, along with ELT-7, likely regulates transcription of a number of intestine-specific terminal differentiation genes such as ges-1, ifb-2, pha-4, and the stress-induced mtl-2; ELT-2 also positively autoregulates, presumably to ensure maintenance of intestinal differentiation