NURD

NuRD, or the Nucleosome Remodeling and Deacetylase complex, is a conserved multi-subunit chromatin-modifying complex in eukaryotes that integrates ATP-dependent nucleosome remodeling with histone deacetylation. This combination of activities promotes chromatin compaction and transcriptional repression at target loci.

The core NuRD assembly is defined by the presence of several subfamilies of proteins, including CHD3 or CHD4 (the Mi-2 family ATPases), HDAC1 or HDAC2 (histone deacetylases), MTA1, MTA2, or MTA3 (metastasis-associated factors), RBBP4 or RBBP7 (retinoblastoma-binding proteins), and GATAD2A or GATAD2B. In many contexts, additional subunits and variants can associate with the core to form functionally distinct NuRD complexes. Some versions of NuRD can also include MBD2 or MBD3, which can contribute to DNA-binding properties in certain cell types.

Functionally, NuRD couples chromatin remodeling to histone deacetylation to regulate gene expression. The CHD subunit remodels nucleosomes in an ATP-dependent manner, while HDAC1/2 remove acetyl groups from histone tails, leading to a hypoacetylated, repressive chromatin state. Through interactions with transcription factors and other chromatin regulators, NuRD is involved in gene silencing during development and differentiation, as well as in processes such as DNA damage response and genome stability.

Biological importance and regulation of NuRD have been demonstrated across metazoans, with roles in embryogenesis, neural and hematopoietic development, and cancer-related epigenetic regulation. Its activity is a focus of study for understanding how chromatin structure controls gene expression and cell fate decisions.