Mutations in Chromatin Remodeling Factors

The nucleosome is a composite of histone proteins and DNA, and is the basic repeating unit of the dynamic, multilayered chromatin structure that dictates the physical organization of DNA inside cells. ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling complexes are responsible for the mobilization of nucleosomes, controlling the compaction and relaxation of chromatin and in turn, accessibility of DNA. There are four structural families of ATP-dependent chromatin remodelers each with unique roles within the cell. All have key roles in essential cellular processes including transcription, DNA replication and DNA repair. Here, we describe these complexes, their individual subunits, and the potential implications for the etiology of cancer when expression and functional activity of these important cellular regulators goes awry.