Fig. 1

BAF complex subunit switches during mammalian development. BAF complex subunits undergo distinct switches during development to adapt to the requirements of more differentiated cell types. While the esBAF complex can only be found in embryonic stem cells and incorporates BRG1 as ATPase subunit, npBAF complexes can be found in neural progenitor cells and nBAF complexes first occur with mitotic exit. Colours are used to indicate the changes in subunit compositions. Most strikingly, npBAF can include BRM as alternative to BRG1, BAF250b as alternative to a, BAF60c as alternative to c and a BAF155::170 heterodimer to replace the BAF155::155 homodimer. nBAF-specific subunits are BAF53a, BAF45b/c and CREST. The ncBAF coexists with the esBAF complex in ESCs and has been shown to regulate naïve pluripotency by interacting with the transcription factors KLF4 and Sp5. It is characterised by the lack of many esBAF-specific subunits such as BAF250a, BAF47 and BAF57 and the incorporation of BRD9 and the ncBAF-specific subunit GLTSR1/L1. Until now, ncBAF complexes, apart from ESCs, could also be found in rhabdoid and synovial sarcoma tumour cell lines as well as in HEK293T cells