title: NuA4 and SWR1-C: two chromatin-modifying complexes with overlapping functions and components.
abstract: Chromatin structure is important for the compaction of eukaryotic genomes, thus chromatin modifications play a fundamental role in regulating many cellular processes. The coordinated activities of various chromatin-remodelling and -modifying complexes are crucial in maintaining distinct chromatin neighbourhoods, which in turn ensure appropriate gene expression, as well as DNA replication, repair, and recombination. SWR1-C is an ATP-dependent histone deposition complex for the histone variant H2A.Z, whereas NuA4 is a histone acetyltransferase for histones H4, H2A, and H2A.Z. Together the NuA4 and SWR1-C chromatin-modifying complexes alter the chromatin structure through 3 distinct modifications in yeast: post-translational addition of chemical groups, ATP-dependent chromatin remodelling, and histone variant incorporation. These 2 multi-protein complexes share 4 subunits and function together to regulate the circuitry of H2A.Z biology. The components and functions of both multi-protein complexes are evolutionarily conserved and play important roles in multi-cellular development and cellular differentiation in higher eukaryotes. This review will summarize recent findings about NuA4 and SWR1-C and will focus on the connection between these complexes by investigating their physical and functional interactions through eukaryotic evolution.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z4H4, Canada.
authors.forename: Phoebe Y T
authors.initials: PY
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lévesque
authors.forename: Michael S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Kobor
mesh_terms: D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D002843:Chromatin / Q000378:metabolism*; D005057:Eukaryotic Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D053263:Gene Regulatory Networks / Q000502:physiology; D051548:Histone Acetyltransferases / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D046912:Multiprotein Complexes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D010802:Phylogeny; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D002843:Chromatin; D046912:Multiprotein Complexes; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D051548:Histone Acetyltransferases; C504740:NuA4 protein, S cerevisiae; D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases; C481261:Swr1 protein, S cerevisiae