p63 regulates <i>Satb1</i> to control tissue-specific chromatin remodeling during development of the epidermis

The study demonstrated that the p63 transcription factor played a crucial role in epidermal morphogenesis by directly regulating the expression of the genome organizer Satb1 in progenitor cells. p63 bound to a regulatory region of the Satb1 gene, and its absence led to reduced Satb1 expression in the epidermis. Mice lacking Satb1 exhibited impaired epidermal morphology, with altered chromatin architecture in the epidermal differentiation complex locus. This alteration affected the activation of genes necessary for terminal differentiation. The study found that reintroducing Satb1 expression in p63-deficient skin partially restored normal epidermal phenotype, highlighting Satb1's role in establishing tissue-specific chromatin organization and gene expression during epidermal development.