BAF200 Is Required for Heart Morphogenesis and Coronary Artery Development

The document describes a study on the importance of BAF200, a component of the PBAF chromatin remodeling complex, in the development of the heart and coronary arteries. BAF200 mutant mice were created and exhibited embryonic lethality with multiple cardiac defects, such as thin myocardium and various congenital heart defects, around embryonic day 14.5. The mutants also showed a significant reduction in cardiomyocyte proliferation and a decrease in intramyocardial coronary arteries, suggesting that BAF200 is vital for the migration and differentiation of venous cells into arterial endothelial cells. Despite these defects, cardiac differentiation markers and key transcription factors were normally expressed, and other vascular and lymphatic developments were unaffected. The study concludes that BAF200 is critical for heart morphogenesis and coronary artery angiogenesis, and its absence can lead to congenital heart diseases. The number of mice used in the study was not specified.