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Updated: May 2, 2026

Using Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization FISH to Monitor the State of Arm Cohesion in Prometaphase and Metaphase I Drosophila Oocytes
Published on: December 6, 2017
BAF180 promotes cohesion and prevents genome instability and aneuploidy
Peter M Brownlee1, Anna L Chambers1, Ross Cloney1
1MRC Genome Damage and Stability Centre, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9RQ, UK.
None:
BAF180, a subunit of the PBAF chromatin remodeling complex, is frequently mutated in cancer. Although PBAF regulates transcription, it remains unclear whether this is what drives tumorigenesis in cells lacking BAF180. Based on data from yeast, we hypothesized that BAF180 may prevent tumorigenesis by promoting cohesion. Here, we show BAF180 is required for centromeric cohesion in mouse and human cells. Mutations identified in tumor samples are unable to support this activity, and also compromise cohesion-dependent functions in yeast. We provide evidence of genome instability in line with loss of cohesion, and importantly, we find dynamic chromosome instability following DNA damage in cells lacking BAF180. These data demonstrate a function for BAF180 in promoting genome stability that is distinct from its well-characterized role in transcriptional regulation, uncovering a potent mechanism for its tumor-suppressor activity.
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