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The human Mi-2/NuRD complex and gene regulation

Abstract

The Mi-2/nucleosome remodeling and deacetylase (NuRD) complex is an abundant deacetylase complex with a broad cellular and tissue distribution. It is unique in that it couples histone deacetylation and chromatin remodeling ATPase activities in the same complex. A decade of research has uncovered a number of interesting connections between Mi-2/NuRD and gene regulation. The subunit composition of the enzyme appears to vary with cell type and in response to physiologic signals within a tissue. Here, we review the known subunits of the complex, their connections to signaling networks, and their association with cancer. In addition, we propose a working model that integrates the known biochemical properties of the enzyme with emerging models on how chromatin structure and modification relate to gene activity.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Intramural Research Program of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, NIH. We thank Dr Sandy Westerheide for critical review of this manuscript. We apologize to our many colleagues whose work could not be cited here for space limitations.

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Correspondence to P A Wade.

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Denslow, S., Wade, P. The human Mi-2/NuRD complex and gene regulation. Oncogene 26, 5433–5438 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.onc.1210611

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