Baf60c is a nuclear Notch signaling component required for the establishment of left-right asymmetry

Notch-mediated induction of Nodal at the vertebrate node is a critical step in initiating left-right (LR) asymmetry. In mice and zebrafish we show that Baf60c, a subunit of the Swi/Snf-like BAF chromatin remodeling complex, is essential for establishment of LR asymmetry. Baf60c knockdown mouse embryos fail to activate Nodal at the node and also have abnormal node morphology with mixing of crown and pit cells. In cell culture, Baf60c is required for Notch-dependent transcriptional activation and functions to stabilize interactions between activated Notch and its DNA-binding partner, RBP-J. Brg1 is also required for these processes, suggesting that BAF complexes are key components of nuclear Notch signaling. We propose a critical role for Baf60c in Notch-dependent transcription and LR asymmetry.