title: Snf2-family proteins: chromatin remodellers for any occasion.
abstract: Chromatin facilitates the housing of eukaryotic DNA within the nucleus and restricts access to the underlying sequences. Thus, the regulation of chromatin structure provides an excellent platform for regulating processes that require information stored within genomic DNA. Snf2 proteins are a family of helicase-like proteins that direct energy derived from ATP hydrolysis into the mechanical remodelling of chromatin structure. Here, we highlight some of the recent discoveries regarding this family of proteins and show Snf2 proteins have roles in many aspects of genetic metabolism. Recent developments include new insights into the mechanism for nucleosome spacing and histone dimer exchange; together with growing evidence for the involvement of Snf2 proteins in DNA repair.
authors.affiliation: Wellcome Trust Centre for Gene Regulation and Expression, University of Dundee, Dundee, DD1 5EH, UK. t.a.owenhughes@dundee.ac.uk
authors.forename: Daniel P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Ryan
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Owen-Hughes
mesh_terms: D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D002503:Centromere / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D042002:Chromatin Assembly and Disassembly / Q000235:genetics*; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004249:DNA Damage; D004260:DNA Repair / Q000235:genetics*; D006657:Histones / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008958:Models, Molecular; D009707:Nucleosomes / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016615:Telomere / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D006657:Histones; D009707:Nucleosomes; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D004247:DNA; D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases; C499333:SNF2 protein, S cerevisiae; C481261:Swr1 protein, S cerevisiae