Fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3) plays an important role in cartilage development.Although upregulation of FGFR3 expression in response to bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) has been reported, the molecular mechanisms remain unknown.In this study, we demonstrated that the a component of the SWI/SNF remodeling complex may selectively remodel a chromatin region (encompassing nucleotide-90 to +35), uncovering the transcription start site and three Spl-binding sites, as revealed by nuclease digestion hypersensitivity assays.We then showed an increase in the association of Sp 1 with the proximal promoter, followed by the recruitment of p300, resulting in a change of the histone code, such as in phosphorylation and methylation.Collectively, our study results suggest a model for BMP-2-induced FGFR3 expression in which the core promoter architecture is specifically regulated.