Recombinant Human NFAT5 protein

Supplementary info

This supplementary information is collated from multiple sources and compiled automatically.

Activity summary

NFAT5 also known as TonEBP (tonicity-responsive enhancer binding protein) is a transcription factor belonging to the nuclear factor of activated T-cells (NFAT) family. It is involved in mechanistic functions through its role in the osmoregulatory mechanism aiding cells to adapt to changes in osmotic stress by regulating gene expression related to maintaining ionic and osmotic balance. NFAT5 has a molecular mass of approximately 170 kDa and is primarily expressed in kidney medulla cells where osmotic stress is prevalent.

Biological function summary

NFAT5 helps regulate the cellular response to hypertonic stress in several tissues including the kidneys brain and immune cells. It acts as a transcriptional activator that induces the expression of osmoprotective genes such as the sodium/myo-inositol transporter and aldose reductase. NFAT5 functions not as part of a larger complex but as an independent transcription factor which directly binds to enhancers within target gene promotors playing a critical role in cellular adaptation to hyperosmotic conditions.

Pathways

NFAT5 plays a significant role in the hypertonicity-induced signaling pathway and the osmoprotective pathway. Through these it influences key cellular processes by modulating the transcription of genes necessary for adaptation to osmotic stress. It stands in relation to other NFAT family members like NFATc1 and NFATc2 but distinctively differs as it does not rely directly on calcium and calcineurin for its activation unlike its relatives involved in the calcineurin/NFAT pathway.

Associated diseases and disorders

NFAT5 has implications in cardiovascular diseases and diabetes mellitus. It's involved in cellular responses to hypertonic stress in various disease states notably influencing the vascular smooth muscle cell function in hypertension. Additionally NFAT5's regulation of osmoprotective genes connects it to metabolic disorders like diabetes where osmotic stress responses are disturbed. Interactions between NFAT5 and other proteins like TFEB (Transcription Factor EB) occur during conditions related to metabolic disorders indicating its broad relevance in stress-related pathologies.