Hepatocyte nuclear factor 3-alpha (FOXA1)

Transcription factor that's involved in embryonic development, establishment of tissue-specific gene expression and regulation of gene expression in differentiated tissues. Is thought to serve as a'pioneer' variable opening the compacted chromatin for other proteins through interactions with nucleosomal core histones and thereby replacing linker histones at target enhancer and/or promoter websites.

Binds DNA using the consensus sequence 5'-[AC]A[AT]T[AG]TT[GT][AG][CT]T[CT]-3' (By similarity). Proposed to play a role in translating the epigenetic signatures into cell type-specific enhancer-driven transcriptional programs.