SnapShot: Chromatin Remodeling: INO80 and SWR1

The INO80 and SWR1 complexes belong to the INO80 subfamily of ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling complexes. These complexes interact with nucleosomes and remodel chromatin by either sliding nucleosomes along the DNA or exchanging histones within nucleosomes. In doing so, the INO80 and SWR1 complexes promote recruitment of regulatory factors to DNA. Distinct from other subfamilies of chromatin remodeling complexes, INO80 and SWR1 contain core ATPases with a unique split ATPase domain, as well as Rvb proteins, which share limited homology to bacterial RuvB, the Holliday Junction DNA Helicase. They bind to histone H2A variants (H2AX, H2A.Z) and have been implicated in the alteration of chromatin structure during transcription, replication, and DNA repair. This SnapShot depicts these two remodeling complexes, their mechanism of action and their biological functions.