Signal-dependent incorporation of MyoD-BAF60c into Brg1-based SWI/SNF chromatin-remodeling complex

Tissue-specific transcription factors initiate differentiation toward a specialized cell type by inducing transcription-permissive chromatin modifications at target gene promoters, through the recruitment of the SWI/SNF chromatin-remodeling complex (1, 2). The molecular mechanism that regulates the chromatin re-distribution of SWI/SNF in response to differentiation signals is currently unknown. Here we show that the muscle determination factor MyoD and the SWI/SNF structural sub-unit, BAF60c (SMARCD3), form a complex on the regulatory elements of MyoD-target genes in undifferentiated myoblasts, prior to the activation of gene expression. MyoD-BAF60c complex is devoid of the ATP-dependent enzymatic sub-units Brg1 and Brm, is required for stable MyoD binding to Ebox sequences, and marks the chromatin for signal-dependent recruitment of the SWI/SNF core complex to muscle loci. BAF60c phosphorylation on a conserved threonine by differentiation-activated p38 signalling promotes the incorporation of MyoD-BAF60c into a Brg1-based SWI/SNF complex, which is competent to remodel the chromatin and activates transcription of MyoD-target genes. Our data support an unprecedented two-step model, by which pre-assembled BAF60c-MyoD complex directs the SWI/SNF complex chromatin re-distribution to muscle loci in response to differentiation cues. Differentiation of C2C12 cells individually interfered for BRG1, BAF60B, BAF60C