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Comment
. 2021 Mar;53(3):263-264.
doi: 10.1038/s41588-021-00781-7.

Chromatin openness requires continuous SWI/SNF activity

Diana C Hargreaves  1
Affiliations
Comment

Chromatin openness requires continuous SWI/SNF activity

Diana C Hargreaves. Nat Genet. 2021 Mar.

Abstract

Chromatin structure and specifically sites of open or accessible chromatin regulate transcription factor binding to determine cell type-specific gene expression. Two new studies find that there is a constant requirement for SWI/SNF complex remodeling to maintain open chromatin using chemical and genetic methods that acutely inhibit or degrade the BRG1/BRM ATPase subunits, leading to loss in transcription factor binding and altered gene expression.

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Figures

Figure 1 –
Figure 1 –. SWI/SNF activity is needed to maintain accessible chromatin.
Acute disruption of the BRG1/BRM ATPases of the SWI/SNF complex results in loss of chromatin accessibility and transcription factor binding at enhancers within minutes, indicating that SWI/SNF-dependent chromatin remodeling is continuously required to maintain open chromatin for transcription. Yellow/green: OCT4, SOX2 transcription factors; Pink: BRG1/BRM subunit of the SWI/SNF complex; Gray: Associated SWI/SNF subunits; Blue: nucleosomes.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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References

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