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Abstract
The SWI/SNF-like chromatin remodeler ATRX has recently garnered renewed attention. ATRX mutations were first identified in patients bearing the syndrome after which it is named, alpha thalassemia/mental retardation, X-linked. While ATRX has long been implicated in transcriptional regulation through multiple mechanisms, recent studies have identified a role for ATRX in the regulation of histone variant deposition. In addition, current reports describe ATRX to be mutated at high percentages in multiple tumor types, suggestive of a potential ‘driver’ role in cancer. Here we discuss the numerous and seemingly diverse roles for ATRX in transcriptional regulation and histone deposition and suggest that ATRX’s effects are mediated by its regulation of histones within the chromatin template.
Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest
No potential conflicts of interest were disclosed.
Acknowledgments
The authors thank Luis Felipe Duarte, David Valle-Garcia and Dan Hasson for critical reading of this article. We apologize to those whose work could not be referenced directly due to space constraints. This work was supported by The Ellison Medical Foundation New Scholar Award to E.B.