Relationships at the nuclear envelope: lamins and nuclear pore complexes in animals and plants

The nuclear envelope comprises a distinct compartment at the nuclear periphery that provides a platform for communication between the nucleus and cytoplasm. Signal transfer can proceed by multiple means. Primarily, this is by nucleocytoplasmic trafficking facilitated by NPCs (nuclear pore complexes). Recently, it has been indicated that signals can be transmitted from the cytoskeleton to the intranuclear structures via interlinking transmembrane proteins. In animal cells, the nuclear lamina tightly underlies the inner nuclear membrane and thus represents the protein structure located at the furthest boundary of the nucleus. It enables communication between the nucleus and the cytoplasm via its interactions with chromatin-binding proteins, transmembrane and membrane-associated proteins. Of particular interest is the interaction of the nuclear lamina with NPCs. As both structures fulfil essential roles in close proximity at the nuclear periphery, their interactions have a large impact on cellular processes resulting in affects on tissue differentiation and development. The present review concentrates on the structural and functional lamina–NPC relationship in animal cells and its potential implications to plants.