Abstract
THE SWI/SNF complex is required for the enhancement of transcription by many transcriptional activators in yeast1,2. Genetic and biochemical studies indicate that the complex facilitates activator function by antagonizing chromatin-mediated transcriptional repression3–6. The absence of known DNA-binding motifs in several SWI/SNF subunits and the failure to identify SWI/SNF-dependent DNA-binding activities in crude yeast extracts have led to the belief that the complex does not bind DNA7,8. Here we show that the SWI/SNF complex has a high affinity for DNA and that its DNA-binding properties are similar to those of proteins containing HMG-box domains9. The complex interacts with the minor groove of the DNA helix, binds synthetic four-way junction DNA, and introduces positive supercoils into relaxed plasmid DNA. These properties are likely to be important in the remodelling of chromatin structure by the SWI/SNF complex.
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Quinn, J., Fyrberg, A., Ganster, R. et al. DNA-binding properties of the yeast SWI/SNF complex. Nature 379, 844–847 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1038/379844a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/379844a0
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