1. ¹Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan College of Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
2. ²Department of Cancer Biology, Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center, Jacksonville, FL, USA

Correspondence: Dr D Reisman, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, B-570B MSRBII, Campus Box 0686, 1150 W Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0686, USA. E-mail: dreisman@med.umich.edu

Received 26 September 2008; Revised 1 December 2008; Accepted 22 January 2009; Published online 23 February 2009.

Abstract

The mammalian SWI/SNF complexes mediate ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling processes that are critical for differentiation and proliferation. Not surprisingly, loss of SWI/SNF function has been associated with malignant transformation, and a substantial body of evidence indicates that several components of the SWI/SNF complexes function as tumor suppressors. This review summarizes the evidence that underlies this conclusion, with particular emphasis upon the two catalytic subunits of the SWI/SNF complexes, BRM, the mammalian ortholog of SWI2/SNF2 in yeast and brahma in Drosophila, and Brahma-related gene-1 (BRG1).