Involved in transcriptional activation and repression of select genes by chromatin remodeling (alteration of DNA-nucleosome topology). Component of SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complexes that carry out key enzymatic activities, changing chromatin structure by altering DNA-histone contacts within a nucleosome in an ATP-dependent manner. Component of the CREST-BRG1 complex, a multiprotein complex that regulates promoter activation by orchestrating the calcium-dependent release of a repressor complex and the recruitment of an activator complex. In resting neurons, transcription of the c-FOS promoter is inhibited by SMARCA4-dependent recruitment of a phospho-RB1-HDAC repressor complex. Upon calcium influx, RB1 is dephosphorylated by calcineurin, which leads to release of the repressor complex. At the same time, there is increased recruitment of CREBBP to the promoter by a CREST-dependent mechanism, which leads to transcriptional activation. The CREST-BRG1 complex also binds to the NR2B promoter, and activity-dependent induction of NR2B expression involves the release of HDAC1 and recruitment of CREBBP.