AT-rich interactive domain-containing protein 1A is a

protein Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residue (biochemistry), residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including Enzyme catalysis, catalysing metab ...

that in humans is encoded by the ''ARID1A''

gene In biology, the word gene has two meanings. The Mendelian gene is a basic unit of heredity. The molecular gene is a sequence of nucleotides in DNA that is transcribed to produce a functional RNA. There are two types of molecular genes: protei ...

Function

ARID1A is a member of the

SWI/SNF In molecular biology, SWI/SNF (SWItch/Sucrose Non-Fermentable), is a subfamily of ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling complexes, which is found in eukaryotes. In other words, it is a group of proteins that associate to remodel the way DNA is packa ...

family, whose members have helicase and

ATPase ATPases (, Adenosine 5'-TriPhosphatase, adenylpyrophosphatase, ATP monophosphatase, triphosphatase, ATP hydrolase, adenosine triphosphatase) are a class of enzymes that catalyze the decomposition of ATP into ADP and a free phosphate ion or ...

activities and are thought to regulate transcription of certain genes by altering the

chromatin Chromatin is a complex of DNA and protein found in eukaryote, eukaryotic cells. The primary function is to package long DNA molecules into more compact, denser structures. This prevents the strands from becoming tangled and also plays important r ...

structure around those genes. The encoded protein is part of the large ATP-dependent chromatin remodelling complex SWI/SNF, which is required for transcriptional activation of genes normally repressed by chromatin. It possesses at least two conserved domains that could be important for its function. First, it has an

ARID domain In molecular biology, the ARID domain (AT-rich interaction domain; also known as BRIGHT (B-cell Regulator of Ig Heavy chain Transcription) domain)) is a protein domain that binds to DNA. ARID domain-containing proteins are found in fungi, plants Z ...

, which is a

DNA-binding domain A DNA-binding domain (DBD) is an independently folded protein domain that contains at least one structural motif that recognizes double- or single-stranded DNA. A DBD can recognize a specific DNA sequence (a recognition sequence) or have a gener ...

that can specifically bind an AT-rich DNA sequence known to be recognized by a SWI/SNF complex at the

beta-globin Hemoglobin subunit beta (beta globin, β-globin, haemoglobin beta, hemoglobin beta) is a globin protein, coded for by the ''HBB'' gene, which along with alpha globin (HBA1, HBA), makes up the most common form of haemoglobin in adult humans, hem ...

locus. Second, the

C-terminus The C-terminus (also known as the carboxyl-terminus, carboxy-terminus, C-terminal tail, carboxy tail, C-terminal end, or COOH-terminus) is the end of an amino acid chain (protein Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comp ...

of the protein can stimulate

glucocorticoid receptor The glucocorticoid receptor (GR or GCR) also known by its gene name ''NR3C1'' ( nuclear receptor subfamily 3, group C, member 1) is the steroid receptor for glucocorticoids such as cortisol. The GR is expressed in almost every cell in the bod ...

-dependent transcriptional activation. The protein encoded by this gene confers specificity to the SWI/SNF complex and recruits the complex to its targets through either protein-DNA or protein-protein interactions. Two transcript variants encoding different

isoforms A protein isoform, or "protein variant", is a member of a set of highly similar proteins that originate from a single gene and are the result of genetic differences. While many perform the same or similar biological roles, some isoforms have uniqu ...

have been found for this gene.

Clinical significance

The gene encoding ARID1A is the most frequently mutated SWI/SNF subunit across cancers. This gene has been commonly found mutated in different cancers leading to loss of function, including

gastric cancer Stomach cancer, also known as gastric cancer, is a malignant tumor of the stomach. It is a cancer that develops in the lining of the stomach. Most cases of stomach cancers are gastric carcinomas, which can be divided into a number of subtypes ...

colon cancer Colorectal cancer (CRC), also known as bowel cancer, colon cancer, or rectal cancer, is the development of cancer from the colon or rectum (parts of the large intestine). Signs and symptoms may include blood in the stool, a change in bowel ...

ovarian clear cell carcinoma Ovarian clear-cell carcinoma, or clear-cell carcinoma of the ovary, also called ovarian clear-cell adenocarcinoma, is one of several subtypes of ovarian carcinoma – a subtype of epithelial ovarian cancer, in contrast to non-epithelial cancers. ...

liver cancer Liver cancer, also known as hepatic cancer, primary hepatic cancer, or primary hepatic malignancy, is cancer that starts in the liver. Liver cancer can be primary in which the cancer starts in the liver, or it can be liver metastasis, or secondar ...

lymphoma Lymphoma is a group of blood and lymph tumors that develop from lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell). The name typically refers to just the cancerous versions rather than all such tumours. Signs and symptoms may include enlarged lymph node ...

and

pancreatic cancer Pancreatic cancer arises when cell (biology), cells in the pancreas, a glandular organ behind the stomach, begin to multiply out of control and form a Neoplasm, mass. These cancerous cells have the malignant, ability to invade other parts of ...

. In

breast cancer Breast cancer is a cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a Breast lump, lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, Milk-rejection sign, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipp ...

distant

metastases Metastasis is a pathogenic agent's spreading from an initial or primary site to a different or secondary site within the host's body; the term is typically used when referring to metastasis by a cancerous tumor. The newly pathological sites, ...

acquire inactivation mutations in ARID1A not seen in the primary tumor, and reduced ARID1A expression confers resistance to different drugs such as

trastuzumab Trastuzumab, sold under the brand name Herceptin among others, is a monoclonal antibody used to treat breast cancer and stomach cancer. It is specifically used for cancer that is HER2 receptor positive. It may be used by itself or together ...

and

mTOR inhibitor mTOR inhibitors are a drug class, class of drugs used to treat several human diseases, including cancer, autoimmune diseases, and neurodegeneration. They function by inhibiting the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) (also known as the mechanist ...

s. These findings provide a rationale for why tumors accumulate ARID1A mutations.

Research

Lack of this gene/protein seems to protect rats from some types of liver damage.

Interactions

ARID1A has been shown to interact with

SMARCB1 SWI/SNF-related matrix-associated actin-dependent regulator of chromatin subfamily B member 1 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''SMARCB1'' gene. Function The protein encoded by this gene is part of a complex that relieves repress ...

and

SMARCA4 Transcription activator BRG1 also known as ATP-dependent chromatin remodeler SMARCA4 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''SMARCA4'' gene. Function The protein encoded by this gene is a member of the SWI/SNF family of proteins and ...

References

External links