The BHC (BRAF-HDAC) complex is involved in the repression of neuronal-specific genes during development. It is recruited by RE1-silencing transcription factor (REST) to mediate the repression of REST-responsive genes. The BHC complex includes histone deacetylases (HDACs) 1 and 2, and the histone demethylase KDM1A (also knowns as BHC110, LSD1 or AOF2). KDM1A demethylates both Lys-4 (H3K4me) and Lys-9 (H3K9me) of histone H3, acting as a coactivator or a corepressor, depending on the context. Corepressor for element-1-silencing transcription factor (CoREST) is an essential component of the BHC complex, enhancing the association with nucleosomes (Lee et al. 2005).

REST is a modular transcriptional regulator that recruits CoREST and other regulatory cofactors to activate or repress transcription through dynamic epigenetic mechanisms (Ballas & Mandel 2005).