GATA3: a master of many trades in immune regulation

• GATA3 integrates diverse upstream signals to control gene expression.
• GATA3 controls the development and function of cells of adaptive immunity.
• GATA3 regulates the generation and function of innate lymphoid cells.
• GATA3 function is both cell-type specific and common for multiple cell types.

GATA3 has conventionally been regarded as a transcription factor that drives the differentiation of T helper (Th) 2 cells. Increasing evidence points to a function for GATA3 beyond controlling Th2 differentiation. GATA3 regulates T cell development, proliferation, and maintenance. Furthermore, recent studies have demonstrated important roles for GATA3 in innate lymphoid cells. Thus, GATA3 emerges as a factor with diverse functions in immune regulation, which are in some cases cell-type specific and in others shared by multiple cell types. Here, I discuss recent discoveries and the current understanding of the functions of GATA3 in immune regulation.