scholarly journals Nesprin-1/2: roles in nuclear envelope organisation, myogenesis and muscle disease

2018 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 311-320 ◽  
Author(s):  
Can Zhou ◽  
Li Rao ◽  
Catherine M. Shanahan ◽  
Qiuping Zhang

Nesprins (nuclear envelope spectrin repeat proteins) are multi-isomeric scaffolding proteins. Nesprin-1 and -2 are highly expressed in skeletal and cardiac muscles and together with SUN (Sad1p/UNC84) domain-containing proteins form the LInker of Nucleoskeleton and Cytoskeleton (LINC) complex at the nuclear envelope in association with lamin A/C and emerin. Mutations in nesprin-1/2 have been found in patients with autosomal dominant Emery–Dreifuss muscular dystrophy (EDMD) as well as dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Several lines of evidence indicate that compromised LINC complex function is the critical step leading to muscle disease. Here, we review recent advances in our understanding of the functions of nesprin-1/2 in the LINC complex and mechanistic insights into how mutations in nesprin-1/2 lead to nesprin-related muscle diseases, in particular DCM and EDMD.

2018 ◽  
Vol 46 (3) ◽  
pp. 669-681 ◽  
Author(s):  
Can Zhou ◽  
Li Rao ◽  
Derek T. Warren ◽  
Catherine M. Shanahan ◽  
Qiuping Zhang

Nesprins (nuclear envelope spectrin repeat proteins) are a family of multi-isomeric scaffolding proteins. Nesprins form the LInker of Nucleoskeleton-and-Cytoskeleton (LINC) complex with SUN (Sad1p/UNC84) domain-containing proteins at the nuclear envelope, in association with lamin A/C and emerin, linking the nucleoskeleton to the cytoskeleton. The LINC complex serves as both a physical linker between the nuclear lamina and the cytoskeleton and a mechanosensor. The LINC complex has a broad range of functions and is involved in maintaining nuclear architecture, nuclear positioning and migration, and also modulating gene expression. Over 80 disease-related variants have been identified in SYNE-1/2 (nesprin-1/2) genes, which result in muscular or central nervous system disorders including autosomal dominant Emery–Dreifuss muscular dystrophy, dilated cardiomyopathy and autosomal recessive cerebellar ataxia type 1. To date, 17 different nesprin mouse lines have been established to mimic these nesprin-related human diseases, which have provided valuable insights into the roles of nesprin and its scaffold LINC complex in a tissue-specific manner. In this review, we summarise the existing nesprin mouse models, compare their phenotypes and discuss the potential mechanisms underlying nesprin-associated diseases.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Liwei Liao ◽  
Rongmei Qu ◽  
Jun Ouang ◽  
Jingxing Dai

Nuclear envelope spectrin repeat protein 3 (nesprin-3) is an evolutionarily-conserved structural protein, widely-expressed in vertebrate cells. Along with other nesprin family members, nesprin-3 acts as an essential component of the linker of nucleoskeleton and cytoskeleton (LINC) complex. Naturally, nesprin-3 shares many functions with LINC, including the localization of various cellular structures and bridging of the nucleoskeleton and cytoskeleton, observed in vitro. When nesprin-3 was knocked down in vivo, using zebrafish and mouse models, however, the animals were minimally affected. This paradoxical observation should not limit the physiological importance of nesprin-3, as recently, nesprin-3 has reignited the interest of the research community in studies on cancer cells migration. Moreover, nesprin-3 also plays an active role in certain developmental conditions such as adipogenesis and spermatogenesis, although more studies are needed. Meanwhile, the various protein binding partners of nesprin-3 should also be emphasized, as they are necessary for maintaining the structure of nesprin-3 and enabling it to carry out its various physiological and pathological functions. Nesprin-3 promises to further our understanding of these complex cellular events. Therefore, this review will focus on nesprin-3, examining it from a genetic, structural, and functional perspective. The final part of the review will in turn address the limitations of existing research and the future perspectives for the study of nesprin-3.


2020 ◽  
Vol 126 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie Heffler ◽  
Parisha P. Shah ◽  
Patrick Robison ◽  
Sai Phyo ◽  
Kimberly Veliz ◽  
...  

Rationale: Mechanical forces are transduced to nuclear responses via the linkers of the nucleoskeleton and cytoskeleton (LINC) complex, which couples the cytoskeleton to the nuclear lamina and associated chromatin. While disruption of the LINC complex can cause cardiomyopathy, the relevant interactions that bridge the nucleoskeleton to cytoskeleton are poorly understood in the cardiomyocyte, where cytoskeletal organization is unique. Furthermore, while microtubules and desmin intermediate filaments associate closely with cardiomyocyte nuclei, the importance of these interactions is unknown. Objective: Here, we sought to determine how cytoskeletal interactions with the LINC complex regulate nuclear homeostasis in the cardiomyocyte. Methods and Results: To this end, we acutely disrupted the LINC complex, microtubules, actin, and intermediate filaments and assessed the consequences on nuclear morphology and genome organization in rat ventricular cardiomyocytes via a combination of super-resolution imaging, biophysical, and genomic approaches. We find that a balance of dynamic microtubules and desmin intermediate filaments is required to maintain nuclear shape and the fidelity of the nuclear envelope and lamina. Upon depletion of desmin (or nesprin [nuclear envelope spectrin repeat protein]-3, its binding partner in the LINC complex), polymerizing microtubules collapse the nucleus and drive infolding of the nuclear membrane. This results in DNA damage, a loss of genome organization, and broad transcriptional changes. The collapse in nuclear integrity is concomitant with compromised contractile function and may contribute to the pathophysiological changes observed in desmin-related myopathies. Conclusions: Disrupting the tethering of desmin to the nucleus results in a loss of nuclear homeostasis and rapid alterations to cardiomyocyte function. Our data suggest that a balance of forces imposed by intermediate filaments and microtubules is required to maintain nuclear structure and genome organization in the cardiomyocyte.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriela Huelgas-Morales ◽  
Mark Sanders ◽  
Gemechu Mekonnen ◽  
Tatsuya Tsukamoto ◽  
David Greenstein

AbstractThe function of the nucleus depends on the integrity of the nuclear lamina, an intermediate filament network associated with the linker of nucleoskeleton and cytoskeleton (LINC) complex spanning the nuclear envelope. In turn, the AAA+ ATPase torsinA regulates force transmission from the cytoskeleton to the nucleus. In humans, mutations affecting nuclear envelope-associated proteins cause laminopathies, including progeria, myopathy, and dystonia. We report that decreasing the function of the C. elegans torsinA homolog, OOC-5, rescues the sterility and premature aging caused by a null mutation in the single worm lamin homolog, lmn-1. Loss of OOC-5 activity prevents nuclear collapse in lmn-1 mutants by disrupting the function of the LINC complex. These results suggest that LINC complex-transmitted forces damage nuclei with a compromised nuclear lamina.One Sentence SummaryInhibiting LINC complex activity prevents a progeric syndrome in C. elegans.


2020 ◽  
Vol 117 (49) ◽  
pp. 31301-31308
Author(s):  
Gabriela Huelgas-Morales ◽  
Mark Sanders ◽  
Gemechu Mekonnen ◽  
Tatsuya Tsukamoto ◽  
David Greenstein

The function of the nucleus depends on the integrity of the nuclear lamina, an intermediate filament network associated with the linker of nucleoskeleton and cytoskeleton (LINC) complex. The LINC complex spans the nuclear envelope and mediates nuclear mechanotransduction, the process by which mechanical signals and forces are transmitted across the nuclear envelope. In turn, the AAA+ ATPase torsinA is thought to regulate force transmission from the cytoskeleton to the nucleus. In humans, mutations affecting nuclear envelope-associated proteins cause laminopathies, including progeria, myopathy, and dystonia, though the extent to which endogenous mechanical stresses contribute to these pathologies is unclear. Here, we use theCaenorhabditis elegansgermline as a model to investigate mechanisms that maintain nuclear integrity as germ cell nuclei progress through meiotic development and migrate for gametogenesis—processes that require LINC complex function. We report that decreasing the function of theC. eleganstorsinA homolog, OOC-5, rescues the sterility and premature aging caused by a null mutation in the single worm lamin homolog. We show that decreasing OOC-5/torsinA activity prevents nuclear collapse in lamin mutants by disrupting the function of the LINC complex. At a mechanistic level, OOC-5/torsinA promotes the assembly or maintenance of the lamin-associated LINC complex and this activity is also important for interphase nuclear pore complex insertion into growing germline nuclei. These results demonstrate that LINC complex-transmitted forces damage nuclei with a compromised nuclear lamina. Thus, the torsinA–LINC complex nexus might comprise a therapeutic target for certain laminopathies by preventing damage from endogenous cellular forces.


2011 ◽  
Vol 39 (6) ◽  
pp. 1725-1728 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angelika A. Noegel ◽  
Sascha Neumann

Nesprins (nuclear envelope spectrin repeat proteins), also known as SYNE (synaptic nuclear envelope protein), MYNE (myocyte nuclear envelope protein), ENAPTIN and NUANCE, are proteins that are primarily components of the nuclear envelope. The nuclear envelope is a continuous membrane system composed of two lipid bilayers: an inner and an outer nuclear membrane. Nesprins are components of both nuclear membranes and reach into the nucleoplasm and the cytoplasm, where they undergo different interactions and have the potential to influence transcriptional processes and cytoskeletal activities.


2011 ◽  
Vol 39 (6) ◽  
pp. 1729-1734 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria L. Lombardi ◽  
Jan Lammerding

Providing a stable physical connection between the nucleus and the cytoskeleton is essential for a wide range of cellular functions and it could also participate in mechanosensing by transmitting intra- and extra-cellular mechanical stimuli via the cytoskeleton to the nucleus. Nesprins and SUN proteins, located at the nuclear envelope, form the LINC (linker of nucleoskeleton and cytoskeleton) complex that connects the nucleus to the cytoskeleton; underlying nuclear lamins contribute to anchoring LINC complex components at the nuclear envelope. Disruption of the LINC complex or loss of lamins can result in disturbed perinuclear actin and intermediate filament networks and causes severe functional defects, including impaired nuclear positioning, cell polarization and cell motility. Recent studies have identified the LINC complex as the major force-transmitting element at the nuclear envelope and suggest that many of the aforementioned defects can be attributed to disturbed force transmission between the nucleus and the cytoskeleton. Thus mutations in nesprins, SUN proteins or lamins, which have been linked to muscular dystrophies and cardiomyopathies, may weaken or completely eliminate LINC complex function at the nuclear envelope and result in impaired intracellular force transmission, thereby disrupting critical cellular functions.


Genes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 658
Author(s):  
Francesco Manfrevola ◽  
Florian Guillou ◽  
Silvia Fasano ◽  
Riccardo Pierantoni ◽  
Rosanna Chianese

Nuclear architecture undergoes an extensive remodeling during spermatogenesis, especially at levels of spermatocytes (SPC) and spermatids (SPT). Interestingly, typical events of spermiogenesis, such as nuclear elongation, acrosome biogenesis, and flagellum formation, need a functional cooperation between proteins of the nuclear envelope and acroplaxome/manchette structures. In addition, nuclear envelope plays a key role in chromosome distribution. In this scenario, special attention has been focused on the LINC (linker of nucleoskeleton and cytoskeleton) complex, a nuclear envelope-bridge structure involved in the connection of the nucleoskeleton to the cytoskeleton, governing mechanotransduction. It includes two integral proteins: KASH- and SUN-domain proteins, on the outer (ONM) and inner (INM) nuclear membrane, respectively. The LINC complex is involved in several functions fundamental to the correct development of sperm cells such as head formation and head to tail connection, and, therefore, it seems to be important in determining male fertility. This review provides a global overview of the main LINC complex components, with a special attention to their subcellular localization in sperm cells, their roles in the regulation of sperm morphological maturation, and, lastly, LINC complex alterations associated to male infertility.


2014 ◽  
Vol 205 (4) ◽  
pp. 457-475 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dipen Rajgor ◽  
Jason A. Mellad ◽  
Daniel Soong ◽  
Jerome B. Rattner ◽  
Marvin J. Fritzler ◽  
...  

Nesprins are a multi-isomeric family of spectrin-repeat (SR) proteins, predominantly known as nuclear envelope scaffolds. However, isoforms that function beyond the nuclear envelope remain poorly examined. Here, we characterize p50Nesp1, a 50-kD isoform that localizes to processing bodies (PBs), where it acts as a microtubule-associated protein capable of linking mRNP complexes to microtubules. Overexpression of dominant-negative p50Nesp1 caused Rck/p54, but not GW182, displacement from microtubules, resulting in reduced PB movement and cross talk with stress granules (SGs). These cells disassembled canonical SGs induced by sodium arsenite, but not those induced by hydrogen peroxide, leading to cell death and revealing PB–microtubule attachment is required for hydrogen peroxide-induced SG anti-apoptotic functions. Furthermore, p50Nesp1 was required for miRNA-mediated silencing and interacted with core miRISC silencers Ago2 and Rck/p54 in an RNA-dependent manner and with GW182 in a microtubule-dependent manner. These data identify p50Nesp1 as a multi-functional PB component and microtubule scaffold necessary for RNA granule dynamics and provides evidence for PB and SG micro-heterogeneity.


2016 ◽  
Vol 215 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily M. Hatch ◽  
Martin W. Hetzer

Repeated rounds of nuclear envelope (NE) rupture and repair have been observed in laminopathy and cancer cells and result in intermittent loss of nucleus compartmentalization. Currently, the causes of NE rupture are unclear. Here, we show that NE rupture in cancer cells relies on the assembly of contractile actin bundles that interact with the nucleus via the linker of nucleoskeleton and cytoskeleton (LINC) complex. We found that the loss of actin bundles or the LINC complex did not rescue nuclear lamina defects, a previously identified determinant of nuclear membrane stability, but did decrease the number and size of chromatin hernias. Finally, NE rupture inhibition could be rescued in cells treated with actin-depolymerizing drugs by mechanically constraining nucleus height. These data suggest a model of NE rupture where weak membrane areas, caused by defects in lamina organization, rupture because of an increase in intranuclear pressure from actin-based nucleus confinement.


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