title: Cutting edge: SWI/SNF mediates antisense Igh transcription and locus-wide accessibility in B cell precursors.
abstract: The stepwise process of Ag receptor gene assembly, termed V(D)J recombination, is coordinated during lymphocyte development by sweeping changes in chromatin that permit or deny access to a single recombinase enzyme. We now show that switching/sucrose nonfermenting (SWI/SNF) chromatin remodeling complexes are recruited to the Igh locus by an enhancer-dependent process and that these complexes are essential for generating recombinase accessibility throughout the locus. Depletion of SWI/SNF in pro-B cells also inhibits antisense transcription through all clusters of Igh gene segments, a pioneering process that has been implicated in the initial opening of chromatin. We conclude that SWI/SNF complexes play multiple roles in Igh gene assembly, ranging from initial locus activation to the spreading and maintenance of chromatin accessibility over large V(H), D(H), and J(H) domains.
authors: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.
authors: Oleg A
authors: OA
authors: Osipovich
authors: Ramesh
authors: R
authors: Subrahmanyam
authors: Steven
authors: S
authors: Pierce
authors: Ranjan
authors: R
authors: Sen
authors: Eugene M
authors: EM
authors: Oltz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D042002:Chromatin Assembly and Disassembly; D002868:Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone / Q000235:genetics*; D016373:DNA, Antisense / Q000235:genetics; D004742:Enhancer Elements, Genetic; D050438:Genes, Immunoglobulin Heavy Chain / Q000235:genetics*; D051379:Mice; D054448:Precursor Cells, B-Lymphoid / Q000378:metabolism*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D045567:VDJ Recombinases / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002868:Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone; D016373:DNA, Antisense; C445179:SWI-SNF-B chromatin-remodeling complex; D014157:Transcription Factors; D045567:VDJ Recombinases