Multifunctional BAF-1

Nuclear assembly happens every cell division. So it's no surprise that nuclear assembly factors are overworked during embryogenesis, when proliferation is maximal. But there's no rest for one weary factor, called BAF-1, who has many jobs left to do even when embryogenesis is over, report Margalit et al. on page 661.

BAF-1 is enriched at the nuclear periphery and is required for the capture of chromosomes in reforming nuclei. It binds to histones, DNA, and nuclear envelope proteins including lamin and emerin.

Mutations to lamin and emerin, which are also crucial for nuclear assembly, somehow cause human diseases that manifest later in life, when cell division has lagged. In previous studies, the group found that knocking down the activity of BAF-1...