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Review
Nature Reviews Immunology 4, 965–977 (1 December 2004) | doi:10.1038/nri1501
A BAF-centred view of the immune system
Abstract
Chromatin structure dictates whether DNA templates are accessible to nuclear proteins; therefore, it is tightly regulated. To reconfigure chromatin, cells often mobilize 'chromatin-remodelling complexes' that use energy to disrupt histone–DNA contacts. BAF complexes, which are related to the yeast SWI–SNF complex, are the prototypical mammalian chromatin-remodelling complexes. In the past few years, studies have revealed the crucial and diverse roles of BAF complexes in the regulation of the immune system — from lymphocyte development to immune responses. This review surveys these advances, highlighting the general insights these studies provide into the modes of action of BAF complexes, and it concludes with a discussion of some of the key opportunities and challenges in this field.
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