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Neural crest induction requires SALL4-mediated BAF recruitment to lineage specific enhancers
Open accessPreprint — published as 10.1242/dev.205248 · Paper page
Abstract
Neural crest induction begins early during neural plate formation, requiring precise transcriptional control to activate lineage-specific enhancers. Here, we demonstrate that SALL4, a transcription factor associated with syndromes featuring craniofacial anomalies, plays a critical role in early cranial neural crest (CNCC) specification. Using SALL4 -het-KO human iPSCs to model clinical haploinsufficiency, we show that SALL4 directly recruits BAF to CNCC-lineage specific enhancers at the neuroectodermal stage, specifically when neural crest gene expression is induced at the neural plate border. Without functional SALL4, BAF is not loaded at chromatin, leaving CNCC enhancers inaccessible. Consequently, the cells cannot undergo proper CNCC induction and specification due to persistent enhancer repression, despite normal neuroectodermal and neural plate progression. Moreover, by performing SALL4 isoform-specific depletion, we demonstrate that the SALL4A is the isoform essential for CNCC induction and specification, and that SALL4B cannot compensate for SALL4A loss in this developmental process. In summary, our findings reveal SALL4 as essential regulator of BAF-dependent enhancer activation during early stages of neural crest development, providing molecular insights into SALL4-associated craniofacial anomalies.
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Metadata
- Authors
- Demurtas, M., Barnada, S. M., van Domselaar, E., Mitchell, Z. H., Deelen, L., & Trizzino, M.
- Affiliations
- Imperial College London (GB)
- Thomas Jefferson University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Trizzino, Marco
- Venue
- Development
- Publisher
- openRxiv
- Published
- 2025-06-10
- Volume
- 152
- Issue
- 24
- ISSN
- 0950-1991 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC12752504
- OpenAlex
- W4416785166
- Cited by
- 2
- References
- 1
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 1
- FWCI
- 0.60
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Development (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) (acceptedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- Spiral (Imperial College London) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Funders
- Wellcome Trust (104931/Z/14/Z)
- G. Harold and Leila Y. Mathers Foundation
- Imperial College London
- Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BB/L015129/1, BB/Y000854/1)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Developmental Biology and Gene Regulation
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Genomics and Chromatin Dynamics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Surgery › Craniofacial Disorders and Treatments
- Keywords
- SALL4, BAF chromatin remodeling complex, neural crest induction, enhancer activation, enhancer repression, haploinsufficiency, neural plate border, craniofacial anomalies, transcriptional regulation, induced pluripotent stem cells
- MeSH terms
- Animals, DNA-Binding Proteins, Enhancer Elements, Genetic, Humans, Neural Crest, Transcription Factors, Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental, Cell Lineage, Neural Plate, Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
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