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Lamin post-translational modifications: emerging toggles of nuclear organization and function
Laura A Murray-Nerger1, Ileana M Cristea1
1Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Lewis Thomas Laboratory, Washington Road, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
Trends in Biochemical Sciences
|June 21, 2021
Summary
Nuclear lamins, crucial for nuclear structure and gene regulation, are controlled by diverse post-translational modifications (PTMs). Understanding these PTMs is key to deciphering their roles in health and disease.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Molecular Biology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Nuclear lamins are type V intermediate filaments essential for nuclear architecture and cellular functions.
- Their roles span nuclear shape maintenance, mechanosignaling, chromatin organization, gene regulation, and cell cycle control.
- Regulation of lamin function remains a critical, yet underexplored, area in cell biology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the current understanding of post-translational modifications (PTMs) governing nuclear lamin functions.
- To explore how site-specific PTMs influence lamin activity in both normal cellular conditions and disease states.
- To discuss methodologies for characterizing novel lamin PTMs and their functional implications.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of existing research on nuclear lamins and their modifications.
- Analysis of studies detailing various types of post-translational modifications (PTMs) affecting lamins.
- Examination of techniques used for identifying and validating PTMs on nuclear lamins.
Main Results:
- A diverse array of PTMs, including phosphorylation, ubiquitination, and SUMOylation, regulate nuclear lamins.
- These modifications occur in a site-specific manner, fine-tuning lamin functions.
- Lamin PTMs are implicated in various diseases, such as progeria, muscular dystrophy, and viral infections.
Conclusions:
- Post-translational modifications are critical regulators of nuclear lamin function.
- Further research into site-specific PTMs will illuminate their roles in cellular homeostasis and disease pathogenesis.
- Characterizing unknown lamin PTMs offers promising avenues for understanding and potentially treating related disorders.
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