Chromatin remodeling by ATP-dependent molecular machines.
The eukaryotic genome is packaged into a periodic nucleoprotein structure termed chromatin. The repeating unit of chromatin, the nucleosome, consists of DNA that is wound nearly two times around an octamer of histone proteins. To facilitate DNA-directed processes in chromatin, it is often necessary to rearrange or to mobilize the nucleosomes. This remodeling of the nucleosomes is achieved by the action of chromatin-remodeling complexes, which are a family of ATP-dependent molecular machines. Chromatin-remodeling factors share a related ATPase subunit and participate in transcriptional regulation, DNA repair, homologous recombination and chromatin assembly. In this review, we provide an overview of chromatin-remodeling enzymes and discuss two possible mechanisms by which these factors might act to reorganize nucleosome structure.
Lusser
Alexandra
A
Section of Molecular Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0347, USA.
Kadonaga
James T
JT
D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases / Q000737:chemistry; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D002843:Chromatin / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D004330:Drosophila; D016678:Genome; D008954:Models, Biological; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D009707:Nucleosomes / Q000378:metabolism; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000737:chemistry; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D002843:Chromatin; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D009707:Nucleosomes; C084011:SMARCA2 protein, human; D014157:Transcription Factors; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases