Genetic variant rs1058240 at the microRNA-binding site in the GATA3 gene may regulate its mRNA expression

The GATA binding protein 3 (GATA3) is a member of a family of 6 GATA dual zinc finger transcription factors (GATA1-6), which are required for the development and morphogenesis of the mammary gland. GATA3 is considered to play a dual role in oncogenesis and cancer development, whereas somatic GATA3 mutations have been reported in breast cancer. Variants of the GATA3 genetic 3' untranslated region (3'UTR) microRNA (miRNA) binding sites have been associated with breast cancer risk. However, the roles of genetic variants in the GATA3 gene 3'UTR and its post-transcriptional regulation have not been fully elucidated. We discovered that rs1058240 in the GATA3 3'UTR displayed potential miRNA binding sites and this variant was found to be significantly associated with GATA3 mRNA expression (P=2.36E-07), suggesting that rs1058240 may be a putative variant mediating the post-transcriptional regulation of the GATA3 target gene. Further studies investigating the regulatory mechanism of GATA3 transcriptional activity are required to design novel strategies against breast cancer cell growth and differentiation.