ATP-dependent chromatin remodeller brahma related gene 1 promotes keratinocyte migration and modulates cell Signalling during wound healing in human skin.

Skin wound healing is driven by proliferation, migration and differentiation of several cell types that are controlled by the alterations in the gene expression programmes. Brahma Gene 1 (BRG1) (also known as SMARCA4) is a core ATPase in the BRG1 Associated Factors (BAF) ATP-dependent chromatin remodelling complexes that alter DNA-histone interaction in chromatin at the specific gene regulatory elements resulting in increase or decrease of the target gene transcription. Using siRNA mediated suppression of BRG1 during wound healing in a human ex vivo and in vitro (scratch assay) models, we demonstrated that BRG1 is essential for efficient skin wound healing by promoting epidermal keratinocytes migration, but not their proliferation or survival.