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.