Cohen-Fix Orna, Askjaer Peter
Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
Andalusian Center for Developmental Biology, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas/Junta de Andalucia/Universidad Pablo de Olavide, 41013 Seville, Spain
Genetics. 2017 Jan;205(1):25-59. doi: 10.1534/genetics.116.197160.
Studies on the Caenorhabditis elegans nucleus have provided fascinating insight to the organization and activities of eukaryotic cells. Being the organelle that holds the genetic blueprint of the cell, the nucleus is critical for basically every aspect of cell biology. The stereotypical development of C. elegans from a one cell-stage embryo to a fertile hermaphrodite with 959 somatic nuclei has allowed the identification of mutants with specific alterations in gene expression programs, nuclear morphology, or nuclear positioning. Moreover, the early C. elegans embryo is an excellent model to dissect the mitotic processes of nuclear disassembly and reformation with high spatiotemporal resolution. We review here several features of the C. elegans nucleus, including its composition, structure, and dynamics. We also discuss the spatial organization of chromatin and regulation of gene expression and how this depends on tight control of nucleocytoplasmic transport. Finally, the extensive connections of the nucleus with the cytoskeleton and their implications during development are described. Most processes of the C. elegans nucleus are evolutionarily conserved, highlighting the relevance of this powerful and versatile model organism to human biology.
对秀丽隐杆线虫细胞核的研究为真核细胞的组织和活动提供了引人入胜的见解。作为保存细胞遗传蓝图的细胞器，细胞核对于细胞生物学的几乎每个方面都至关重要。秀丽隐杆线虫从单细胞阶段胚胎发育成为具有959个体细胞核的可育雌雄同体，这种典型的发育过程使得能够鉴定出在基因表达程序、核形态或核定位方面存在特定改变的突变体。此外，早期秀丽隐杆线虫胚胎是一个极好的模型，可用于以高时空分辨率剖析核解体和重新形成的有丝分裂过程。我们在此综述秀丽隐杆线虫细胞核的几个特征，包括其组成、结构和动态。我们还讨论了染色质的空间组织和基因表达的调控，以及这如何依赖于核质运输的严格控制。最后，描述了细胞核与细胞骨架的广泛联系及其在发育过程中的意义。秀丽隐杆线虫细胞核的大多数过程在进化上是保守的，这突出了这种强大且通用的模式生物与人类生物学的相关性。
