Although there are no reports of Chd1-knockout mice, RNAi-mediated depletion of CHD1 in mouse ESCs results in a loss of pluripotency. CHD1 seems to maintain mouse ESC chromatin in a hyperdynamic and euchro-matic state, thereby preserving lineage plasticity67 (Fig. 3). The findings in mice therefore seem inconsistent with the phenotype of null mutants in D. melanogaster. Developing null mice in which Chd1 can be conditionally deleted will be essential to test these conclusions rigorously.
