Nuclear size regulation: from single cells to development and disease

Cell size varies greatly among different cell types and organisms, especially during early development when cell division is rapid with little overall growth. A fundamental question is how organelle size is regulated relative to cell size. The nucleus exhibits exquisite size scaling during development and between species, and nuclear size is often altered in cancer cells. Recent studies have elucidated mechanisms of nuclear size regulation in a variety of experimental systems, opening the door to future research on how nuclear size impacts upon cell and nuclear function and subnuclear organization. In this review we discuss studies that have clarified nuclear size control mechanisms and how these results have or will contribute to our understanding of the functional significance of nuclear size.