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Review
. 2020 Jan 13;11(1):90.
doi: 10.3390/genes11010090.

Unwinding BRAHMA Functions in Plants

Caroline Thouly  1 , Marie Le Masson  1 , Xuelei Lai  1 , Cristel C Carles  1 , Gilles Vachon  1
Affiliations
Review

Unwinding BRAHMA Functions in Plants

Caroline Thouly et al. Genes (Basel). .

Abstract

The ATP-dependent Switch/Sucrose non-fermenting (SWI/SNF) chromatin remodeling complex (CRC) regulates the transcription of many genes by destabilizing interactions between DNA and histones. In plants, BRAHMA (BRM), one of the two catalytic ATPase subunits of the complex, is the closest homolog of the yeast and animal SWI2/SNF2 ATPases. We summarize here the advances describing the roles of BRM in plant development as well as its recently reported chromatin-independent role in pri-miRNA processing in vitro and in vivo. We also enlighten the roles of plant-specific partners that physically interact with BRM. Three main types of partners can be distinguished: (i) DNA-binding proteins such as transcription factors which mostly cooperate with BRM in developmental processes, (ii) enzymes such as kinases or proteasome-related proteins that use BRM as substrate and are often involved in response to abiotic stress, and (iii) an RNA-binding protein which is involved with BRM in chromatin-independent pri-miRNA processing. This overview contributes to the understanding of the central position occupied by BRM within regulatory networks controlling fundamental biological processes in plants.

Keywords: BRAHMA; SWI2/SNF2; chromatin; miRNAs; remodeling; transcription factor.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
BRM domains and BRM roles in plant development. (a) Schematic representation of BRM domain compositions and regions that its partners interact. Partners that interact with BRM are shown below; (b) Overview of the main BRM roles in plant development. Gene regulations by BRM are shown by hammerhead arrows and pointed arrows, representing repression and activation, respectively. Direct interactors of BRM are presented by circles with color background according to 5 types and described in the inset. ANGUSTIFOLIA3 (AN3) may not interact directly with BRM as a direct interaction has not been reported in the literature. Core SWI/SNF subunits SWI3A, B and C that interact physically with BRM are described in [5].
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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