GATA transcription factor. Molecular model of the GATA transcription factor bound to a zinc finger. Transcription factors are proteins that bind to specific DNA sequences, and control the movement (transcription) of genetic information from DNA to mRNA (messenger RNA) during gene expression. GATA plays a role in blood cell development. Zinc fingers constitute the DNA recognition domains of many DNA regulatory proteins and are so named for their resemblance to fingers projecting from the protein.