By controlling the access of transcription factors to individual genes,chromatin remodelling complexes help to regulate transcription. SWI2/SNF2 complexes contain one of two ATPases: brahma (BRM) or brahma-related gene 1(BRG1). By using temporally controlled somatic mutagenesis during mouse embryogenesis, Indra and co-workers report on p. 4533 that BRG1 has distinct functions in limb morphogenesis and in the final stages of skin formation. By selectively ablating Brg1 in embryonic surface ectoderm and fetal epidermal keratinocytes, the researchers show that ectodermal BRG1 expression is required for hindlimb morphogenesis–its absence reduces FGF8 expression, which is needed to maintain the apical ectodermal ridge. Epidermal BRG1 expression is also required during keratinocyte terminal differentiation but BRM can partly substitute for BRG1 here; neither protein is essential for keratinocyte proliferation or early differentiation. These results begin to identify the developmental functions of BRG1 and BRM.
Chromatin remodellers: out on a limb
Chromatin remodellers: out on a limb. Development 15 October 2005; 132 (20): e2003. doi:
Download citation file:
Advertisement
Cited by
Biologists @ 100 - join us in Liverpool in March 2025

We are excited to invite you to a unique scientific conference, celebrating the 100-year anniversary of The Company of Biologists, and bringing together our different communities. The conference will incorporate the Spring Meetings of the BSCB and the BSDB, the JEB Symposium Sensory Perception in a Changing World and a DMM programme on antimicrobial resistance. Find out more and register by 28 February 2025 to join us in March 2025 in Liverpool, UK.
Call for papers – Lifelong Development: the Maintenance, Regeneration and Plasticity of Tissues

Development invites you to submit your latest research to our upcoming special issue – Lifelong Development: the Maintenance, Regeneration and Plasticity of Tissues. This issue will be coordinated by Guest Editors Meritxell Huch (Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Germany) and Mansi Srivastava (Harvard University and Museum of Comparative Zoology, USA), working alongside our team of academic Editors. Submit your articles by 15 May 2025.
A case for broadening our view of mechanism in developmental biology

In this Perspective, B. Duygu Özpolat and colleagues survey researchers on their views on what it takes to infer mechanism in developmental biology. They examine what factors shape our idea of what we mean by ‘mechanism’ and suggest a path forward that embraces a broad outlook on the diversity of studies that advance knowledge in our field.
In preprints
Did you know that Development publishes perspectives on recent preprints? These articles help our readers navigate the ever-growing preprint literature. We welcome proposals for ‘In preprints’ articles, so please do get in touch if you’d like to contribute.