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.

Grants and funding

A.B-F. is supported by a Juan de la Cierva postdoctoral contract from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation. Research in A.A.’s lab is funded by the European Research Council, the Spanish Ministries of Science and Innovation, the European Union (FEDER) and Foundation “Vencer el Cancer”.