Structure of nucleosome-bound human BAF complex

Architecture of human BAF complex The SWI/SNF family chromatin remodelers regulate chromatin and transcription. The protein complexes BAF and PBAF are mammalian SWI/SNF remodelers that play essential functions in diverse developmental and physiological processes. He et al. determined the structure of the human BAF complex, which contains three modules that bind the nucleosome on the top, bottom, and side, making this nucleosome-recognition pattern distinct from other chromatin remodelers. Mutations in BAF that are frequently associated with human cancer cluster into a nucleosome-interacting region. This structure provides a framework for understanding the BAF-mediated chromatin remodeling mechanism and its dysregulation in cancer. Science , this issue p. 875