SMARCE1 : SWI/SNF related, matrix associated, actin dependent regulator of chromatin, subfamily e, member 1
Description
The SMARCE1 (SWI/SNF related, matrix associated, actin dependent regulator of chromatin, subfamily e, member 1) is a protein-coding gene located on chromosome 17.
The SMARCE1 gene provides instructions for making a protein that forms one piece (subunit) of several different SWI/SNF protein complexes. SWI/SNF complexes regulate gene activity (expression) by a process known as chromatin remodeling. Chromatin is the network of DNA and protein that packages DNA into chromosomes. The structure of chromatin can be changed (remodeled) to alter how tightly DNA is packaged. Chromatin remodeling is one way gene expression is regulated during development; when DNA is tightly packed, gene expression is lower than when DNA is loosely packed.Through their ability to regulate gene activity, SWI/SNF complexes are involved in many processes, including repairing damaged DNA; copying (replicating) DNA; and controlling the growth, division, and maturation (differentiation) of cells.The role of the SMARCE1 protein within the SWI/SNF complex is not completely understood.
SMARCE1 plays a crucial role in regulating gene expression by modifying the structure of chromatin, the complex of DNA and proteins that packages DNA into chromosomes. It is a component of SWI/SNF complexes, which are involved in chromatin remodeling, a process that alters how tightly DNA is packaged. This alteration in DNA packaging affects gene activity, with tightly packed DNA leading to lower gene expression and loosely packed DNA promoting higher gene expression. SMARCE1 is involved in both activating and repressing specific genes by changing the arrangement of DNA and histones within a nucleosome, the basic unit of chromatin. This process is ATP-dependent, meaning it requires energy. SMARCE1 is a part of two distinct SWI/SNF complexes: the neural progenitor-specific complex (npBAF) and the neuron-specific complex (nBAF). These complexes play crucial roles in the development of neurons, with the npBAF complex supporting the self-renewal and proliferation of neural stem cells, and the nBAF complex contributing to the regulation of genes involved in dendrite growth. During neuronal development, a switch occurs between these two complexes, with the npBAF complex being replaced by the nBAF complex as neurons mature. This transition involves the exchange of specific subunits within the complexes. SMARCE1 is also essential for the coactivation of genes that are responsive to estrogen by collaborating with SWI/SNF complexes and a group of proteins known as SRC/p160 histone acetyltransferases (HATs). Additionally, SMARCE1 interacts with a protein called CoREST, leading to the suppression of neuronal-specific gene promoters in cells that are not neurons.
SMARCE1 is also known as BAF57, CSS5.
