SMARCA1 is one of the two orthologs of the ISWI ATPases encoded by the mammalian genome. The ISWI chromatin remodeling complexes were first identified in Drosophila and have been shown to remodel and alter nucleosome spacing in vitro. SMARCA1 is the catalytic subunit of the nucleosome remodeling factor and CECR2-containing remodeling factor complexes. The NURF complex plays an important role in neuronal physiology by promoting neurite outgrowth and regulation of Engrailed homeotic genes that are involved in neuronal development in the mid-hindbrain. NURF is also thought to be involved in the maturation of T cells from thymocytes by regulating chromatin structure and expression of genes important for T cell development. The largest subunit of the NURF complex, BPTF, is required for proper development of mesoderm, endoderm, and ectoderm tissue lineages, suggesting a role for SMARCA1 in the development of the germ layers in mouse embryo. Disruption of the CERF complex by deletion of CECR2, an interacting partner of SMARCA1, is associated with the neural tube defect exencephaly, linking the CERF complex with regulation of neurulation.
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