nuclear factor of activated T-cells, cytoplasmic 3; NF-ATc3; NFATc3; T-cell transcription factor NFAT4; NF-AT4; NFATx (NFATC3, NFAT4)

Function

• role in the inducible expression of cytokine genes in T-cells, especially in the induction of the IL-2
• phosphorylated by NFATC-kinase
• dephosphorylated by calcineurin (putative)
• member of the multicomponent NFATC transcription complex
• binds to DNA as monomer

Structure

• Rel similarity domain (RSD) allows DNA-binding & cooperative interactions with AP1 factors
• contains 1 RHD (Rel-like) domain

Compartment

• cytoplasm, nucleus
• cytoplasmic for the phosphorylated form
• nuclear after activation that is controlled by calcineurin-mediated dephosphorylation
• rapid nuclear exit of NFATC is thought to be one mechanism by which cells distinguish between sustained & transient Ca+2 signals
• the subcellular localization of NFATC plays a key role in the regulation of gene transcription

Alternative splicing

named isoforms=6

Expression

• isoform 1:
  • predominantly expressed in thymus
  • also found in peripheral blood leukocytes & kidney
• isoform 2:
  • predominantly expressed in skeletal muscle
  • also found in thymus, kidney, testis, spleen, prostate, ovary, small intestine, heart, placenta & pancreas
• isoform 3 is expressed in thymus & kidney
• isoform 4 is expressed in thymus & skeletal muscle

More general terms

• phosphoprotein
• DNA-binding protein

Component of

• nuclear factor of activated T-cells (NFATC transcription complex, NFAT)

Database

• OMIM: https://mirror.omim.org/entry/602698
• Entrez gene: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?db=gene&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=Graphics&list_uids=4775
• Kegg: http://www.genome.jp/dbget-bin/www_bget?hsa:4775
• UniProt: http://www.uniprot.org/uniprot/Q12968.html