BRG1 is a member of the SWI/SNF family of proteins and is similar to the brahma protein of Drosophila. Members of this family have helicase and ATPase activities and are thought to regulate transcription of certain genes by altering the chromatin structure around those genes. BRG1 is part of the large ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling complex SNF/SWI, which is required for transcriptional activation of genes normally repressed by chromatin. BRG1 plays a vital role in the regulation of gene transcription during early mammalian embryogenesis. In addition, BRG1 also play a role as a tumor suppressors and BRG1 is mutated in several tumor cell lines.
