The SWI/SNF complex, transcription-replication conflicts and cancer: a connection with high therapeutic potential

Aleix Bayona-Feliu; Andrés Aguilera

doi:10.1080/23723556.2021.1976582

The SWI/SNF complex, transcription-replication conflicts and cancer: a connection with high therapeutic potential

Mol Cell Oncol. 2021 Sep 23;8(4):1976582. doi: 10.1080/23723556.2021.1976582. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Aleix Bayona-Feliu^{1

2}, Andrés Aguilera^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Centro Andaluz de Biología Molecular y Medicina Regenerativa CABIMER, Universidad de Sevilla-CSIC-Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Sevilla, Spain.
² Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain.

Abstract

Genome instability is a hallmark of cancer. ATP-dependent chromatin remodelers are frequently altered in cancer. We have recently reported that the SWItch/Sucrose Non-Fermentable (SWI/SNF) complex protects the genome by limiting R-loop-mediated genome instability, mainly that caused by transcription-replication conflicts. Here we discuss the significance and biomedical applications of this finding.

Keywords: Cancer; R-loops; SWI/SNF; cBAF; chromatin; epigenetics; genome instability; transcription-replication conflicts.