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CHROMATIN REMODELING

Reshuffling chromatin: how the human chromatin remodeler PBAF recognizes nucleosomes

Nature Structural & Molecular Biology volume 29, page 419 (2022)Cite this article

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The genome is wrapped around octamers of histone proteins forming repeating units called nucleosomes that resemble beads on a string. These structure chromatin, but also present accessibility blocks to reading the underlying genetic information, and often need to be moved, ejected or replaced to regulate access to the genome. A crucial class of enzymes tasked with repositioning nucleosomes is the chromatin remodelers. These range in complexity from single-subunit enzymes, such as the CHD family remodelers, to gargantuan multisubunit complexes complete with complex regulatory and targeting modules, such as the SWI/SNF, ISWI and INO80 family remodelers. A common feature is the ATPase motor that uses energy from ATP to relocate nucleosomes.

The Brg1 (also known as SMARCA4) ATPase is the main chromatin remodeler of the SWI/SNF family in mammals and is part of two different complexes, the Brg1-associated factor (BAF) and polybromo-associated Brg1-associated factor (PBAF) complexes. These are widely involved in regulating transcription and development programs, and are among those most frequently mutated in human cancers and intellectual disability syndromes.

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  1. Nature Structural & Molecular Biology https://www.nature.com/nsmb/

    Sara Osman

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  1. Sara Osman
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Correspondence to Sara Osman.

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Osman, S. Reshuffling chromatin: how the human chromatin remodeler PBAF recognizes nucleosomes. Nat Struct Mol Biol 29, 419 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41594-022-00765-z

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