Role of the SWI/SNF Chromatin Remodeling Complex in Regulation of Inflammation Gene Expression

The process of inflammation is the body’s natural defense response to the penetration of foreign substances and molecules from the outside. Many proteins, signaling cascades, and transcription factors are involved in the activation of inflammation genes. Their coordinated activity leads to a change in the expression of proinflammatory genes. The chromatin state of genes responding to the inflammation stimulus is the main factor determining the binding of transcriptional activators to the gene regulatory elements and a key mechanism in the induction of inflammatory genes. The rapid change in the state of chromatin, the creation of an open structure and the removal of the “nucleosome barrier” facilitates the binding of transcription factors and the initiation of transcription. This process is realized by attracting complexes to the gene that modify and remodel chromatin. One of the most important complexes restructuring the chromatin structure during gene activation is the SWI/SNF multisubunit complex. SWI/SNF regulates the expression of inflammation genes through interaction with transcription factors, including factors of the NF-κB signaling pathway. The variability of the subunits of this complex determines the specificity of its binding to the chromatin and various transcriptional activators. This review considers the role of SWI/SNF in the regulation of inflammation genes, describes its interactions with chromatin, and the molecular mechanisms of its recruitment to the promoters.