The complexity of chromatin remodeling and its links to cancer

The relief of chromatin-mediated repression by ATP-dependent chromatin-remodeling complexes is an important step in the proper transcriptional regulation of many genes. This review gives an organized summary of this large group of complexes that exist in yeast, flies, and humans. Their subunit composition and brief overview of their functional properties will be discussed. Also, current links between human chromatin-remodeling complexes and cell growth and cancer will be presented. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.