Journal of Cell Science 115, e1501-e1501 (2002)
© 2002 The Company of Biologists Limited
A giant that links microfilaments and the nucleus
Proteins related to 
-actinin play multiple roles in organization of
the actin cytoskeleton. -actinin itself arranges actin filaments to
form bundles, whereas relatives such as plakins and spectrins link the
cytoplasmic actin network to the plasma membrane and organelles. Angelika
Noegel and co-workers have now identified and characterized a giant
spectrin-related protein, NUANCE, that could be the first that links the actin
network to the nucleus (see p.
3207). Weighing in at 796 kDa, NUANCE is the largest known member of
the -actinin family. It contains 22 spectrin repeats and an
actin-binding domain that binds to F-actin both in vitro and in vivo. The
authors show that NUANCE resides both in the nucleoplasm and in the outer
nuclear membrane (ONM) — its targeting to the ONM being mediated by a
transmembrane domain at its C-terminus. Significantly, NUANCE shares sequence
similarity in this region with two proteins implicated in nuclear migration:
Drosophila Klarsicht and Syne-1. It might therefore have a dynamic
role in nuclear migration as well as functioning as a cytolinker connecting
microfilaments with the nucleus.
Related articles in JCS:
- NUANCE, a giant protein connecting the nucleus and actin cytoskeleton
- Yen-Yi Zhen, Thorsten Libotte, Martina Munck, Angelika A. Noegel, and Elena Korenbaum
JCS 2002 115: 3207-3222.
[Abstract]
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