The FACT (Facilitates Chromatin Transcription) complex is a conserved protein complex involved in chromatin remodelling and gene expression regulation. FACT is important for maintaining chromatin structure during transcription, DNA replication, and repair processes.It consists of two subunits, Spt16 and SSRP1 (Structure-Specific Recognition Protein 1), which work together to bind to histones and promote nucleosome disassembly. The primary function of FACT is to facilitate the disassembly of nucleosomes ahead of RNA polymerase during gene transcription. As RNA polymerase moves along the DNA template during transcription, it encounters nucleosomes that must be temporarily disrupted to allow RNA transcription to proceed. FACT helps to destabilize such nucleosomes, allowing the passage of RNA polymerase and preventing stalling during transcription. In this process FACT is involved in the dynamic exchange of histone H2A-H2B dimers within nucleosomes. This process is essential for maintaining the structural integrity of nucleosomes during transcription. FACT performs this function by first removing the H2A-H2B dimer and later facilitating its re-incorporation into nucleosomes after transcription, ensuring correct nucleosome reassembly. This reassembly process is vital to maintain the structural and epigenetic marks on chromatin and to prevent inappropriate DNA exposure that might lead to genomic instability. FACT has an additional function during DNA replication where it assists in temporarily displacing nucleosomes to allow the DNA replication machinery access to the DNA template. This ensures the accurate duplication of the genome by preventing conflicts between transcription and replication machineries. FACT also can be considered to act as a type of histone chaperone by directly binding to histones H2A and H2B. It helps stabilize these histones and facilitates their removal from the nucleosome during transcription. This histone chaperone activity is crucial for the efficient and reversible disassembly of nucleosomes. In gene regulation FACT interacts with RNA polymerase II, the enzyme responsible for transcribing protein-coding genes. This interaction helps FACT to track with the RNA polymerase, thereby allowing timely histone disassembly and reassembly as the transcriptional apparatus moves through chromatin. FACT binds to both DNA and histones, allowing it to bridge interactions between nucleosomes and DNA. This DNA binding activity is important for FACT's ability to alter DNA topology, helping to relieve the torsional stress that accumulates during both transcription and replication. FACT often collaborates with other chromatin remodelling factors, such as ATP-dependent chromatin remodellers and histone modifiers. The destabilization of the nucleosome by FACT makes it easier for other chromatin remodelling complexes to access the nucleosome. Chromatin remodellers, such as SWI/SNF complexes, can then use ATP energy to further reposition or eject histones, allowing transcription factors and RNA polymerase to access the DNA template. These collaborations therefore allow for a coordinated and context-dependent regulation of chromatin structure and gene expression. Thus, FACT is a multifunctional chromatin remodelling complex that plays a central role in maintaining chromatin structure during transcription and DNA replication. Its mechanism of action involves histone chaperone activity, interactions with RNA polymerase and DNA, nucleosome destabilization, and collaboration with other chromatin factors. We provide a wide product catalogue of research tools for investigating the FACT complex, including SSRP1 antibodies. Explore our full FACT complex product range below and discover more, for less.