Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 4 Gamma (HNF4g)

Sequence analysis predicted that the 774-amino acid HNF4G protein has a relatively long N-terminal domain compared with that of HNF4A, and nearly identical DNA-binding and ligand-binding domains. The C-terminal F domain of HNF4G is 37% identical to that of HNF4A. Northern blot analysis revealed weak expression of 5.5- and 4.1-kb HNF4G transcripts in pancreas, kidney, small intestine, and testis, with no expression detected in liver or other tissues tested. In contrast, expression of HNF4A was detected in liver as well as in all tissues expressing HNF4G. Cells expressing HNF4G had significantly less transactivation potential compared with those expressing HNF4A. Drewes et al. (1996) concluded that differential transcriptional regulation of HNF4-dependent genes may be due to differential expression of HNF4 proteins.