UnLINCing the nuclear envelope: towards an understanding of the physiological significance of nuclear positioning

Appropriate tissue morphogenesis strictly requires the developmental regulation of different types of nuclear movements. LINC (linker of nucleoskeleton and cytoskeleton) complexes are macromolecular scaffolds that span the nuclear envelope and physically connect the nuclear interior to different cytoskeletal elements and molecular motors, thereby playing essential roles in nucleokinesis. Recent studies dedicated to the in vivo disruption of LINC complexes not only confirmed their widespread role in nuclear dynamics, but also led to a vigorous regain of interest in the physiological relevance of nuclear positioning within cells and syncitia. In the present paper, we review the results of LINC complex disruption in vivo across different organisms and the potential implications of observed phenotypes in human diseases.