Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA, USA.
Curr Opin Struct Biol. 2013 Apr;23(2):285-91. doi: 10.1016/j.sbi.2013.03.005. Epub 2013 Apr 15.
Communication between nucleus and cytoplasm extends past molecular exchange and critically includes mechanical wiring. Cytoskeleton and nucleoskeleton are connected via molecular tethers that span the nuclear envelope. Sad1, UNC84 (SUN)-domain proteins spanning the inner nuclear membrane and Klarsicht, ANC-1 and SYNE/Nesprin-1 and -2 Homology (KASH)-peptide bearing proteins residing in the outer nuclear membrane directly bind and constitute the core of the LInkers of Nucleoskeleton and Cytoskeleton (LINC) complex. These connections appear critical for a growing number of biological processes and aberrations are implicated in a host of diverse diseases, including muscular dystrophies, cardiomyopathies, and premature aging. We discuss recent developments in this vibrant research area, particularly in context of first structural insights into LINC complexes reported in the past year.
核质之间的通讯不仅包括分子交换，还延伸至关键的机械连接。细胞骨架和核骨架通过跨越核膜的分子系绳连接。横跨核内膜的 Sad1、UNC84（SUN）-结构域蛋白和位于核外膜的 Klarsicht、ANC-1 和 SYNE/Nesprin-1 和 -2 同源（KASH）-肽结合蛋白直接结合并构成连接核骨架和细胞质骨架（LINC）复合物的核心。这些连接似乎对越来越多的生物学过程至关重要，并且异常与多种疾病有关，包括肌肉营养不良、心肌病和早衰。我们讨论了这一充满活力的研究领域的最新进展，特别是在过去一年中报告的 LINC 复合物的第一个结构见解方面。
