Nuclear envelope dynamics

2001 ◽  
Vol 79 (5) ◽  
pp. 533-542 ◽  
Author(s):  
Davide Salina ◽  
Khaldon Bodoor ◽  
Paul Enarson ◽  
Wahyu Hendrati Raharjo ◽  
Brian Burke

The nuclear envelope (NE) provides a semi permeable barrier between the nucleus and cytoplasm and plays a central role in the regulation of macromolecular trafficking between these two compartments. In addition to this transport function, the NE is a key determinant of interphase nuclear architecture. Defects in NE proteins such as A-type lamins and the inner nuclear membrane protein, emerin, result in several human diseases that include cardiac and skeletal myopathies as well as lipodystrophy. Certain disease-linked A-type lamin defects cause profound changes in nuclear organization such as loss of peripheral heterochromatin and redistribution of other nuclear envelope components. While clearly essential in maintenance of nuclear integrity, the NE is a highly dynamic organelle. In interphase it is constantly remodeled to accommodate nuclear growth. During mitosis it must be completely dispersed so that the condensed chromosomes may gain access to the mitotic spindle. Upon completion of mitosis, dispersed NE components are reutilized in the assembly of nuclei within each daughter cell. These complex NE rearrangements are under precise temporal and spatial control and involve interactions with microtubules, chromatin, and a variety of cell-cycle regulatory molecules.Key words: nuclear envelope, lamin, nuclear pore complex, nuclear membranes, mitosis.

2009 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 616-630 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hui-Lin Liu ◽  
Colin P.C. De Souza ◽  
Aysha H. Osmani ◽  
Stephen A. Osmani

In Aspergillus nidulans nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) undergo partial mitotic disassembly such that 12 NPC proteins (Nups) form a core structure anchored across the nuclear envelope (NE). To investigate how the NPC core is maintained, we affinity purified the major core An-Nup84-120 complex and identified two new fungal Nups, An-Nup37 and An-ELYS, previously thought to be vertebrate specific. During mitosis the An-Nup84-120 complex locates to the NE and spindle pole bodies but, unlike vertebrate cells, does not concentrate at kinetochores. We find that mutants lacking individual An-Nup84-120 components are sensitive to the membrane destabilizer benzyl alcohol (BA) and high temperature. Although such mutants display no defects in mitotic spindle formation, they undergo mitotic specific disassembly of the NPC core and transient aggregation of the mitotic NE, suggesting the An-Nup84-120 complex might function with membrane. Supporting this, we show cells devoid of all known fungal transmembrane Nups (An-Ndc1, An-Pom152, and An-Pom34) are viable but that An-ndc1 deletion combined with deletion of individual An-Nup84-120 components is either lethal or causes sensitivity to treatments expected to destabilize membrane. Therefore, the An-Nup84-120 complex performs roles, perhaps at the NPC membrane as proposed previously, that become essential without the An-Ndc1 transmembrane Nup.


1999 ◽  
Vol 77 (4) ◽  
pp. 321-329 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khaldon Bodoor ◽  
Sarah Shaikh ◽  
Paul Enarson ◽  
Sharmin Chowdhury ◽  
Davide Salina ◽  
...  

Nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) are extremely elaborate structures that mediate the bidirectional movement of macromolecules between the nucleus and cytoplasm. The current view of NPC organization features a massive symmetrical framework that is embedded in the double membranes of the nuclear envelope. It embraces a central channel of as yet ill-defined structure but which may accommodate particles with diameters up to 26 nm provided that they bear specific import/export signals. Attached to both faces of the central framework are peripheral structures, short cytoplasmic filaments, and a nuclear basket assembly, which interact with molecules transiting the NPC. The mechanisms of assembly and the nature of NPC structural intermediates are still poorly understood. However, mutagenesis and expression studies have revealed discrete sequences within certain NPC proteins that are necessary and sufficient for their appropriate targeting. In addition, some details are emerging from observations on cells undergoing mitosis where the nuclear envelope is disassembled and its components, including NPC subunits, are dispersed throughout the mitotic cytoplasm. At the end of mitosis, all of these components are reutilized to form nuclear envelopes in the two daughter cells. To date, it has been possible to define a time course of postmitotic assembly for a group of NPC components (CAN/Nup214, Nup153, POM121, p62 and Tpr) relative to the integral inner nuclear membrane protein LAP2 and the NPC membrane glycoprotein gp210. Nup153, a dynamic component of the nuclear basket, associates with chromatin towards the end of anaphase coincident with, although independent of, the inner nuclear membrane protein, LAP2. Assembly of the remaining proteins follows that of the nuclear membranes and occurs in the sequence POM121, p62, CAN/Nup214 and gp210/Tpr. Since p62 remains as a complex with three other NPC proteins (p58, p54, p45) during mitosis, and CAN/Nup214 maintains a similar interaction with its partner, Nup84, the relative timing of assembly of these additional four proteins may also be inferred. These observations suggest that there is a sequential association of NPC proteins with chromosomes during nuclear envelope reformation and the recruitment of at least eight of these precedes that of gp210. These findings support a model in which it is POM121 rather than gp210 that defines initial membrane-associated NPC assembly intermediates and which may therefore represent an essential component of the central framework of the NPC. Key words: nuclear pore complex, nucleoporin, mitosis, nuclear transport


1982 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
pp. 345-362
Author(s):  
A.J. Dave ◽  
M.B. Godward

The ultrastructure of somatic mitosis in the germlings of Apoglossum ruscifolium, Kylin, fixed from its natural habitat, was examined to investigate spindle-pole development and the role of the ‘polar ring’. It was found that the polar ring originates from a special nuclear pore raised above a small projection of the nuclear envelope. The initiation of mitotic polarity takes the form of changes in the nuclear envelope. These are: close crowding of pores, heavy deposition of electron-opaque material and attachment of microtubules. No such phenomena are to be observed in the equatorial regions of the nuclear envelope, which persists throughout mitosis. The next stage is the development of ‘clear zones’, which become filled with microtubules excluding all other structures, notably ribosomes, at both poles. At pre-metaphase, microtubules begin to be extended from the clear zones through polar fenestrae in the nuclear envelope into the nucleus itself. With subsequent development of the intranuclear spindle, the microtubules in the clear zones show signs of degeneration. At metaphase, the polar regions of the nuclear envelope begin to return to their normal condition. After metaphase, the polar rings degenerate. Thus it is primarily the nuclear envelope, via its polar modifications, which begins the organization of the mitotic spindle. The capabilities of nuclear pores are summarized. In the Discussion, the polar rings are compared with procentrioles; since they appear to have a passive role in spindle-pole organization, it is suggested that they may represent an evolutionary stage prior to the procentriole. The origin of the centriole ultimately from a nuclear pore is presented as an hypothesis. It is concluded to be unlikely that the polar ring is a degenerate centriole, and therefore it is proposed that the red algae never had centrioles in the course of their evolution. Thus the view of the non-flagellate ancestry of the red algae is supported.


2016 ◽  
Vol 27 (23) ◽  
pp. 3757-3770 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahesh Chemudupati ◽  
Aysha H. Osmani ◽  
Stephen A. Osmani

During Aspergillus nidulans mitosis, peripheral nuclear pore complex (NPC) proteins (Nups) disperse from the core NPC structure. Unexpectedly, one predicted peripheral Nup, Gle1, remains at the mitotic nuclear envelope (NE) via an unknown mechanism. Gle1 affinity purification identified mitotic tether for Gle1 (MtgA), which tethers Gle1 to the NE during mitosis but not during interphase when Gle1 is at NPCs. MtgA is the orthologue of the Schizosaccharomyces pombe telomere-anchoring inner nuclear membrane protein Bqt4. Like Bqt4, MtgA has meiotic roles, but it is functionally distinct from Bqt4 because MtgA is not required for tethering telomeres to the NE. Domain analyses showed that MtgA targeting to the NE requires its C-terminal transmembrane domain and a nuclear localization signal. Of importance, MtgA functions beyond Gle1 mitotic targeting and meiosis and affects nuclear and nucleolar architecture when deleted or overexpressed. Deleting MtgA generates small, round nuclei, whereas overexpressing MtgA generates larger nuclei with altered nuclear compartmentalization resulting from NE expansion around the nucleolus. The accumulation of MtgA around the nucleolus promotes a similar accumulation of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) protein Erg24, reducing its levels in the ER. This study extends the functions of Bqt4-like proteins to include mitotic Gle1 targeting and modulation of nuclear and nucleolar architecture.


2011 ◽  
Vol 192 (5) ◽  
pp. 855-871 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stéphanie Bolhy ◽  
Imène Bouhlel ◽  
Elisa Dultz ◽  
Tania Nayak ◽  
Michela Zuccolo ◽  
...  

Centrosomes are closely associated with the nuclear envelope (NE) throughout the cell cycle and this association is maintained in prophase when they separate to establish the future mitotic spindle. At this stage, the kinetochore constituents CENP-F, NudE, NudEL, dynein, and dynactin accumulate at the NE. We demonstrate here that the N-terminal domain of the nuclear pore complex (NPC) protein Nup133, although largely dispensable for NPC assembly, is required for efficient anchoring of the dynein/dynactin complex to the NE in prophase. Nup133 exerts this function through an interaction network via CENP-F and NudE/EL. We show that this molecular chain is critical for maintaining centrosome association with the NE at mitotic entry and contributes to this process without interfering with the previously described RanBP2–BICD2-dependent pathway of centrosome anchoring. Finally, our study reveals that tethering of centrosomes to the nuclear surface at the G2/M transition contributes, along with other cellular mechanisms, to early stages of bipolar spindle assembly.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matías Capella ◽  
Lucía Martín Caballero ◽  
Boris Pfander ◽  
Sigurd Braun ◽  
Stefan Jentsch

AbstractMisassembled nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) are removed by sealing off the surrounding nuclear envelope (NE), which is mediated by members of the ESCRT (endosomal sorting complexes required for transport) machinery. Recruitment of ESCRT proteins to the NE is mediated by the interaction between the ESCRT member Chm7 and the inner nuclear membrane protein Heh1, which belongs to the conserved LEM family. Increased ESCRT recruitment results in excessive membrane scission at damage sites but its regulation remains poorly understood. Here, we show that Hub1-mediated alternative splicing of HEH1 pre-mRNA, resulting into its shorter form Heh1-S, is critical for the integrity of the NE. ESCRT-III mutants lacking Hub1 or Heh1-S display severe growth defects and accumulate improperly assembled NPCs. This depends on the interaction of Chm7 with the conserved MSC domain only present in the longer spliced variant Heh1-L. Heh1 variants assemble into heterodimers and we demonstrate that a unique splice segment in Heh1-S suppresses growth defects associated with uncontrolled interaction between Heh1-L and Chm7. Together, our findings reveal that Hub1-mediated splicing generates Heh1-S to regulate ESCRT recruitment to the nuclear envelope.Summary statementHeh1-S, the Hub1-mediated spliced version of HEH1 pre-mRNA, contributes to nuclear envelope maintenance by preventing excessive recruitment of Chm7.


1999 ◽  
Vol 112 (18) ◽  
pp. 3049-3059 ◽  
Author(s):  
P.A. Theodoropoulos ◽  
H. Polioudaki ◽  
M. Koulentaki ◽  
E. Kouroumalis ◽  
S.D. Georgatos

Using autoimmune antibodies from a patient with primary biliary cirrhosis we have identified a 68 kDa nuclear envelope protein, termed PBC68. This protein is co-precipitated with a 98 kDa and a 250 kDa polypeptide and is distinct from the nuclear lamins. Immunostaining of digitonin-permeabilized cells indicates that PBC68 is restricted to the inner (nucleoplasmic) face of the nuclear envelope, while indirect immunofluorescence and immunoelectron microscopy show that PBC68 is located on fibrillar structures emanating from the nuclear pore complex. The autoantigen is modified at early prophase and disassembles at prometaphase concurrently with the breakdown of the nuclear envelope. The disassembled material, instead of diffusing throughout the cytoplasm as other nucleoporins, is targeted to the mitotic spindle and remains stably bound to it until anaphase. At telophase PBC68 is released from the mitotic apparatus and reassembles late, after incorporation of LAP2B and B-type lamins, onto the reforming nuclear envelope. The partitioning of PBC68 in dividing cells supports the notion that subsets of nuclear envelope proteins are actively sorted during mitosis by transiently anchoring to spindle microtubules. Furthermore, the data suggest that specific constituents of pore complex are released in a stepwise fashion from their anchorage sites before becoming available for nuclear reassembly.


1974 ◽  
Vol 62 (3) ◽  
pp. 746-754 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Peter Aaronson ◽  
Günter Blobel

Electron microscope examination of isolated rat liver nuclei after treatment with the detergent Triton X-100 revealed the complete removal of both the inner and outer membranes of the nuclear envelope. The envelope-denuded nuclei did not show any change in either shape or internal ultrastructure. Most strikingly, the nuclear pore complexes, which in untreated nuclei appear to be integral components of the nuclear envelope, were retained in their characteristic location at the distal ends of the channels leading through the peripheral heterochromatin. Determination of the chemical composition of detergent-treated nuclei showed that over 95% of the nuclear phospholipid was solubilized, thus corroborating the morphological absence of nuclear membranes. Furthermore, detergent treatment also solubilized approximately 10% of the nuclear protein. Analysis of the solubilized protein by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of SDS indicated that these proteins belong to a few specific classes which presumably represent the major polypeptides of the nuclear membranes. The total absence of the nuclear envelope on both morphological and biochemical grounds supports the idea that the nuclear pore complex does not require the membranes either for attachment to the nucleus or for maintenance of its own structural integrity.


2017 ◽  
Vol 216 (11) ◽  
pp. 3591-3608 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvia Salas-Pino ◽  
Paola Gallardo ◽  
Ramón R. Barrales ◽  
Sigurd Braun ◽  
Rafael R. Daga

Kinetochores (KTs) are large multiprotein complexes that constitute the interface between centromeric chromatin and the mitotic spindle during chromosome segregation. In spite of their essential role, little is known about how centromeres and KTs are assembled and how their precise stoichiometry is regulated. In this study, we show that the nuclear pore basket component Alm1 is required to maintain both the proteasome and its anchor, Cut8, at the nuclear envelope, which in turn regulates proteostasis of certain inner KT components. Consistently, alm1-deleted cells show increased levels of KT proteins, including CENP-CCnp3, spindle assembly checkpoint activation, and chromosome segregation defects. Our data demonstrate a novel function of the nucleoporin Alm1 in proteasome localization required for KT homeostasis.


1994 ◽  
Vol 126 (3) ◽  
pp. 619-630 ◽  
Author(s):  
K D Belanger ◽  
M A Kenna ◽  
S Wei ◽  
L I Davis

Nup1p is a yeast nuclear pore complex protein (nucleoporin) required for nuclear protein import, mRNA export and maintenance of normal nuclear architecture. We have used a genetic approach to identify other proteins that interact functionally with Nup1p. Here we describe the isolation of seventeen mutants that confer a requirement for Nup1p in a background in which this protein is normally not essential. Some of the mutants require wild-type Nup1p, while others are viable in combination with specific nup1 alleles. Several of the mutants show nonallelic noncomplementation, suggesting that the products may be part of a hetero-oligomeric complex. One is allelic to srp1 which, although it was identified in an unrelated screen, was shown to encode a protein that is localized to the nuclear envelope (Yano, R., M. Oakes, M. Yamaghishi, J. A. Dodd, and M. Nomura. 1992. Mol. Cell. Biol. 12:5640-5651). We have used immunoprecipitation and fusion protein precipitation to show that Srp1p forms distinct complexes with both Nup1p and the related nucleoporin Nup2p, indicating that Srp1p is a component of the nuclear pore complex. The distant sequence similarity between Srp1p and the beta-catenin/desmoplakin family, coupled with the altered structure of the nuclear envelope in nup1 mutants, suggests that Srp1p may function in attachment of the nuclear pore complex to an underlying nuclear skeleton.


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