Nucleosome Bundling by Barrier-to-Autointegration Factor: Implications for Its Diverse Functions

In eukaryotic cells, genomic DNA is packaged into chromatin, restricting the access of regulatory proteins and thus regulating key processes such as transcription, replication, recombination, and the repair of DNA. Barrier-to-autointegration factor (BAF) plays key roles in organizing chromatin architecture and nuclear functions. BAF bridges DNA segments and connects them to Lamin A/C and inner nuclear membrane proteins containing the LEM domain, ensuring proper chromatin organization and nuclear envelope assembly and repair. Over the last three decades, multiple structural studies have revealed that BAF dimerizes to bind DNA and shapes higher-order chromatin structure. In this review, we summarize the structural features of BAF in complexes with its binding partners and explore how these interactions contribute to maintaining nuclear integrity and regulating genome function.