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Updated: Jun 1, 2025

CD Spectroscopy to Study DNA-Protein Interactions
Published on: February 10, 2022
Plant BCL-DOMAIN HOMOLOG proteins play a conserved role in SWI/SNF complex stability.
Joan Candela-Ferre1, Jaime Pérez-Alemany1, Borja Diego-Martin1
1Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia 46022, Spain.
Plant BCL-DOMAIN HOMOLOG (BDH) proteins are key SWI/SNF complex subunits essential for hypocotyl cell elongation. These proteins stabilize ARP heterodimers, ensuring SWI/SNF activity across eukaryotes.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Genetics
- Biochemistry
Background:
- SWItch/Sucrose Non-Fermenting (SWI/SNF) complexes are ATP-dependent chromatin remodelers vital for eukaryotic nuclear functions.
- Plant BCL-DOMAIN HOMOLOG (BDH) proteins are conserved subunits of plant SWI/SNF complexes, influencing chromatin accessibility and development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To comprehensively characterize bdh mutants and elucidate the role of BDH in plant development.
- To investigate the molecular function and evolutionary conservation of BDH proteins within SWI/SNF complexes.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of bdh mutants in Arabidopsis to study hypocotyl cell elongation.
- Domain analysis of BDH proteins and phylogenetic comparisons across eukaryotes.
- Structure prediction modeling and functional assays using yeast Rtt102 and Arabidopsis ARP7.
Main Results:
- bdh mutants exhibit defects in hypocotyl cell elongation, highlighting BDH's role in this process.
- A plant-specific N-terminal domain and a conserved β-hairpin domain in BDH were identified, with the latter related to mammalian BCL7.
- Yeast Rtt102 is a structural homolog of BDH/BCL7, interacting with Arabidopsis ARP7 and partially rescuing bdh phenotypes.
- BDH stabilizes the ARP4-ARP7 heterodimer, impacting SWI/SNF complex composition and activity.
Conclusions:
- BDH proteins are crucial for hypocotyl cell elongation in plants via their role in SWI/SNF complexes.
- The β-hairpin domain is an evolutionarily conserved feature of SWI/SNF subunits, essential for ARP heterodimer stability and complex function across eukaryotes.
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