Snf2 ATPase bound to a nucleosome | |||||||||
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![]() Cryo-EM reconstruction of S. cerevisiae Snf2 ATPase in complex with a nucleosome | |||||||||
Identifiers | |||||||||
Symbol | Snf2 | ||||||||
Pfam | PF00176 | ||||||||
InterPro | IPR000330 | ||||||||
SMART | DEXDc | ||||||||
SCOP2 | 5x0x / SCOPe / SUPFAM | ||||||||
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In molecular biology, SWI/SNF (SWItch/Sucrose Non-Fermentable), [1] [2] is a subfamily of ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling complexes, which is found in eukaryotes. In other words, it is a group of proteins that associate to remodel the way DNA is packaged. This complex is composed of several proteins – products of the SWI and SNF genes ( SWI1 , SWI2 / SNF2 , SWI3 , SWI5 , SWI6 ), as well as other polypeptides. [3] It possesses a DNA-stimulated ATPase activity that can destabilize histone-DNA interactions in reconstituted nucleosomes in an ATP-dependent manner, though the exact nature of this structural change is unknown. The SWI/SNF subfamily provides crucial nucleosome rearrangement, which is seen as ejection and/or sliding. The movement of nucleosomes provides easier access to the chromatin, enabling binding of specific transcription factors, [4] and allowing genes to be activated or repressed. [5]
The human analogs of SWI/SNF are "BRG1- or BRM-associated factors", or BAF (SWI/SNF-A) and "Polybromo-associated BAF", which is also known as PBAF (SWI/SNF-B). [6] There are also Drosophila analogs of SWI/SNF, known as "Brahma Associated Protein", or BAP and "Polybromo-associated BAP", also known as PBAP. [7]
It has been found that the SWI/SNF complex (in yeast) is capable of altering the position of nucleosomes along DNA. [8] [9] These alterations are classified in three different ways, and they are seen as the processes of sliding nucleosomes, ejecting nucleosomes, and ejecting only certain components of the nucleosome. [5] Due to the actions performed by the SWI/SNF subfamily, they are referred to as "access remodellers" and promote gene expression by exposing binding sites so that transcription factors can bind more easily. [5] Two mechanisms for nucleosome remodeling by SWI/SNF have been proposed. [10] The first model contends that a unidirectional diffusion of a twist defect within the nucleosomal DNA results in a corkscrew-like propagation of DNA over the octamer surface that initiates at the DNA entry site of the nucleosome. The other is known as the "bulge" or "loop-recapture" mechanism and it involves the dissociation of DNA at the edge of the nucleosome with re-association of DNA inside the nucleosome, forming a DNA bulge on the octamer surface. The DNA loop would then propagate across the surface of the histone octamer in a wave-like manner, resulting in the re-positioning of DNA without changes in the total number of histone-DNA contacts. [11] A recent study [12] has provided strong evidence against the twist diffusion mechanism and has further strengthened the loop-recapture model.
The mammalian SWI/SNF (mSWI/SNF) complex functions as a tumor suppressor in many human malignant cancers. [13] Early studies identified that SWI/SNF subunits were frequently absent in cancer cell lines. [14] SWI/SNF was first identified in 1998 as a tumor suppressor in rhabdoid tumors, a rare pediatric malignant cancer. [15] Other instances of SWI/SNF acting as a tumor suppressor comes from the heterozygous deletion of BAF47 [16] or alteration of BAF47. [17] These instances result in cases of chronic and acute CML and in rarer cases, Hodgkin's lymphoma, respectively. To prove that BAF47, also known as SMARCB1, acts as a tumor suppressor, experiments resulting in the formation of rhabdoid tumors in mice were conducted via total knockout of BAF47. [18] As DNA sequencing costs diminished, many tumors were sequenced for the first time around 2010. Several of these studies revealed SWI/SNF to be a tumor suppressor in a number of diverse malignancies. [19] [20] [21] [22] Several studies revealed that subunits of the mammalian complex, including ARID1A, [23] PBRM1, [22] SMARCB1, [24] SMARCA4, [25] and ARID2, [20] are frequently mutated in human cancers. It has been noted that total loss of BAF47 is extremely rare and instead, most cases of tumors that resulted from SWI/SNF subunits come from BRG1 deletion, BRM deletion, or total loss of both subunits. [26] Further analysis concluded that total loss of both subunits was present in about 10% of tumor cell lines after 100 cell lines were looked at. [27] A meta-analysis of many sequencing studies demonstrated SWI/SNF to be mutated in approximately 20% of human malignancies. [28]
The function of the mammalian SWI/SNF complex is highly tissue-specific, [29] and in addition to its role as a tumor suppressor described above, SWI/SNF complexes also act as dependencies in several different cancer contexts, including acute myeloid leukemia, [30] [31] prostate cancer, [32] neuroblastoma, [33] uveal melanoma, [34] synovial sarcoma, [35] and lung cancer. [36] Because SWI/SNF complexes are viewed as potentially viable drug targets for treating tumors that depend of SWI/SNF activity, [37] several programs in the pharmaceutical industry [38] [39] [40] and in academic settings [41] [32] have sought to develop inhibitors or protein degraders of the complex. Small molecules that inactivate SWI/SNF complexes by interfering with ATP hydrolysis [30] [38] or by causing degradation of key protein subunits [39] have demonstrated efficacy in pre-clinical studies. Common to many of these settings is the requirement of SWI/SNF activity to promote the expression of genes involved in replication commitment, specifically for the expression of proteins that promote transition between G1 and S phase of the cell cycle. [33] This area is rapidly evolving and the development of drugs targeting these complexes is ongoing.
Electron microscopy studies of SWI/SNF and RSC (SWI/SNF-B) reveal large, lobed 1.1-1.3 MDa structures. [42] [43] [44] [45] These structures resemble RecA and cover both sides of a conserved section of the ATPase domain. The domain also contains a separate domain, HSA, that is capable of binding actin, and resides on the N-terminus. [5] The bromo domain present is responsible for recognizing and binding lysines that have been acetylated. [7] No atomic-resolution structures of the entire SWI/SNF complex have been obtained to date, due to the protein complex being highly dynamic and composed of many subunits. However, domains and several individual subunits from yeast and mammals have been described. In particular, the cryo-EM structure of the ATPase Snf2 in complex with a nucleosome shows that nucleosomal DNA is locally deformed at the site of binding. [46] A model of the mammalian ATPase SMARCA4 shows similar features, [25] based on the high degree of sequence homology with yeast Snf2. The interface between two subunits, BAF155 (SMARCC1) and BAF47 (SMARCB1) was also resolved, providing important insights into the mechanisms of the SWI/SNF complex assembly pathway. [47]
The protein domain, SWIB/MDM2, short for SWI/SNF complex B/MDM2 is an important domain. This protein domain has been found in both SWI/SNF complex B and in the negative regulator of the p53 tumor suppressor MDM2. It has been shown that MDM2 is homologous to the SWIB complex. [48]
The primary function of the SWIB protein domain is to aid gene expression. In yeast, this protein domain expresses certain genes, in particular BADH2, GAL1, GAL4, and SUC2. It works by increasing transcription. It has ATPase activity, meaning it breaks down ATP, the basic unit of energy currency. This destabilizes the interaction between DNA and histones. The destabilization that occurs disrupts chromatin and opens up the transcription-binding domains. Transcription factors can then bind to this site, leading to an increase in transcription. [49]
The various protein subunits that make up the SWI/SNF complex interact with each other in different configurations to form three distinct types of SWI/SNF complex: canonical BAF (cBAF), polybromo-associated BAF (pBAF) and non-canonical BAF (ncBAF). Specifically, cBAF is currently thought to regulate gene enhancers, while pBAF and ncBAF function at regions proximal to gene promoters. [50] In addition to their many interactions within the family of SWI/SNF related proteins, some subunits such as SNF5 and BAF155 are capable of interacting with transcription factors, such as c-MYC and the FOS and JUN family proteins of the AP-1 complex. [51] [52]
This protein domain is known to contain one short alpha helix.
Below is a list of yeast SWI/SNF family members with human and Drosophila [53] orthologs: [54]
Yeast | Human | Drosophila | Function |
---|---|---|---|
SWI1 | ARID1A, ARID1B | OSA | Contains LXXLL nuclear receptor binding motifs |
SWI2 / SNF2 | SMARCA2, SMARCA4 | BRM | ATP dependent chromatin remodeling |
SWI3 | SMARCC1, SMARCC2 | Moira/BAP155 | Similar sequence; function unknown |
SWP73 /SNF12 | SMARCD1, SMARCD2, SMARCD3 | BAP60 | Similar sequence; function unknown |
SWP61 /ARP7 | ACTL6A, ACTL6B | Actin-like protein | |
SNF5 | SMARCB1 | SNR1 | ATP dependent chromatin remodeling |
The SWI/SNF complex was first discovered in the yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae . It was named after initially screening for mutations that would affect the pathways for both yeast mating types switching (SWI) and sucrose non-fermenting (SNF). [49] [7]
A nucleosome is the basic structural unit of DNA packaging in eukaryotes. The structure of a nucleosome consists of a segment of DNA wound around eight histone proteins and resembles thread wrapped around a spool. The nucleosome is the fundamental subunit of chromatin. Each nucleosome is composed of a little less than two turns of DNA wrapped around a set of eight proteins called histones, which are known as a histone octamer. Each histone octamer is composed of two copies each of the histone proteins H2A, H2B, H3, and H4.
RSC is a member of the ATP-dependent chromatin remodeler family. The activity of the RSC complex allows for chromatin to be remodeled by altering the structure of the nucleosome.
Chromatin remodeling is the dynamic modification of chromatin architecture to allow access of condensed genomic DNA to the regulatory transcription machinery proteins, and thereby control gene expression. Such remodeling is principally carried out by 1) covalent histone modifications by specific enzymes, e.g., histone acetyltransferases (HATs), deacetylases, methyltransferases, and kinases, and 2) ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling complexes which either move, eject or restructure nucleosomes. Besides actively regulating gene expression, dynamic remodeling of chromatin imparts an epigenetic regulatory role in several key biological processes, egg cells DNA replication and repair; apoptosis; chromosome segregation as well as development and pluripotency. Aberrations in chromatin remodeling proteins are found to be associated with human diseases, including cancer. Targeting chromatin remodeling pathways is currently evolving as a major therapeutic strategy in the treatment of several cancers.
Transcription activator BRG1 also known as ATP-dependent chromatin remodeler SMARCA4 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the SMARCA4 gene.
SWI/SNF-related matrix-associated actin-dependent regulator of chromatin subfamily B member 1 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the SMARCB1 gene.
Probable global transcription activator SNF2L2 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the SMARCA2 gene.
Actin-like protein 6A is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ACTL6A gene.
AT-rich interactive domain-containing protein 1A is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ARID1A gene.
SWI/SNF complex subunit SMARCC1 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the SMARCC1 gene.
SWI/SNF-related matrix-associated actin-dependent regulator of chromatin subfamily E member 1 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the SMARCE1 gene.
AT-rich interactive domain-containing protein 1B is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ARID1B gene. ARID1B is a component of the human SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex.
SWI/SNF-related matrix-associated actin-dependent regulator of chromatin subfamily D member 1 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the SMARCD1 gene.
The Chromodomain-Helicase DNA-binding 1 is a protein that, in humans, is encoded by the CHD1 gene. CHD1 is a chromatin remodeling protein that is widely conserved across many eukaryotic organisms, from yeast to humans. CHD1 is named for three of its protein domains: two tandem chromodomains, its ATPase catalytic domain, and its DNA-binding domain.
Protein polybromo-1 (PB1) also known as BRG1-associated factor 180 (BAF180) is a protein that in humans is encoded by the PBRM1 gene.
SWI/SNF-related matrix-associated actin-dependent regulator of chromatin subfamily D member 2 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the SMARCD2 gene.
ISWI is one of the five major DNA chromatin remodeling complex types, or subfamilies, found in most eukaryotic organisms. ISWI remodeling complexes place nucleosomes along segments of DNA at regular intervals. The placement of nucleosomes by ISWI protein complexes typically results in the silencing of the DNA because the nucleosome placement prevents transcription of the DNA. ISWI, like the closely related SWI/SNF subfamily, is an ATP-dependent chromatin remodeler. However, the chromatin remodeling activities of ISWI and SWI/SNF are distinct and mediate the binding of non-overlapping sets of DNA transcription factors.
In the field of molecular biology, the Mi-2/NuRDcomplex, is a group of associated proteins with both ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling and histone deacetylase activities. As of 2007, Mi-2/NuRD was the only known protein complex that couples chromatin remodeling ATPase and chromatin deacetylation enzymatic functions.
Diana Hargreaves is an American biologist and assistant professor at The Salk Institute for Biological Studies and member of The Salk Cancer Center. Her laboratory focuses on epigenetic regulation by the BAF (SWI/SNF) chromatin remodeling complexes in diverse physiological processes including development, immunity, and diseases such as cancer.
Robert E. Kingston is an American biochemist and geneticist who studies the functional and regulatory role nucleosomes play in gene expression, specifically during early development. After receiving his PhD (1981) and completing post-doctoral research, Kingston became an assistant professor at Massachusetts General Hospital (1985), where he started a research laboratory focused on understanding chromatin's structure with regards to transcriptional regulation. As a Harvard graduate himself, Kingston has served his alma mater through his leadership.
Cigall Kadoch is an American biochemist and cancer biologist who is Associate Professor of Pediatric Oncology at the Dana–Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School and an Investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Her research is focused in chromatin regulation and how changes in cellular structure can lead to human diseases, such as Cancer, Neurodevelopmental disorders, and others. She is internationally recognized for her work on the mammalian SWI/SNF complex, a large molecular machine known as a Chromatin remodeling complex. She was named as one of the world's leading scientists by MIT Technology Review, 35 Under 35 and Forbes 30 Under 30, and a Finalist for the Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists. In 2019, she received the Martin and Rose Wachtel Cancer Research Prize from the American Association for the Advancement of Science and in 2020, the American Association for Cancer Research Outstanding Achievement in Basic Cancer Research Award. Kadoch was also recognized as one of the 100 Influential Women in Oncology by OncoDaily.