The Nucleoskeleton

The nucleoskeleton is an important structural feature of the metazoan nucleus and is involved in the regulation of genome expression and maintenance. The nuclear lamins are intermediate filament proteins that form a peripheral nucleoskeleton in concert with other lamin-associated proteins. Several other proteins normally found in the cytoskeleton have also been identified in the nucleus, but, as will be discussed here, their roles in forming a nucleoskeleton have not been elucidated. Nevertheless, mutations in lamins and lamin-associated proteins cause a spectrum of diseases, making them interesting targets for future research.