Fig. 6

Representative models of ISWI-noncoding RNA interplay in cancer. ISWI family proteins are implicated in the regulation of oncogene transcription involving their interplay with noncoding RNAs. Generally, noncoding RNA recruits ISWI proteins to alter the chromatin environment and histone modification, thereby affecting oncogene transcription. A In gastric tumors, circ-DONSON recruits the SNF2 L-NURF complex to the SOX4 promoter by interacting with SMARCA1, which enriches the transcriptionally active markers H3K27ac and H3K4me3 and increases SOX4 promoter accessibility and transcription [115]. B In colorectal cancer, lncRNA DLEU1 recruits the SNF2 L-NURF complex to the KPNA3 promoter and promotes gene expression through the enrichment of histone modification H3K27ac, which further facilitates malignant behaviors [116]. C LncHOXA10 guides the localization of the SNF2 L-NURF complex to the HOXA10 promoter by directly interacting with SMARCA1, which further activates HOXA10 transcription and promotes liver tumor-initiating cell self-renewal [117]. D lncGata6 recruits the NURF complex to the Ehf promoter and induces gene expression by directly binding with SMARCA1, which further promotes Lgr4/5 (ISC cell-specific marker) expression and activation of Wnt signaling and thus maintains ISC stemness or promotes tumorigenesis [118]