Abstract |
A-type lamins provide a scaffold for tethering chromatin and protein complexes regulating nuclear structure and function. Interest in lamins increased after mutations in the LMNA gene were found to be associated with a variety of human disorders termed laminopathies. These include muscular dystrophy, cardiomyopathy, lipodystrophy, peripheral neuropathy and premature aging syndromes such as progeria. In addition, altered expression of A-type lamins is emerging as a contributing factor to tumorigenesis. How different alterations in a gene that is ubiquitously expressed can cause such an array of systemic as well as tissue specific diseases remains an enigma. Several lines of evidence indicate that mutant forms of A-type lamins impact on genome function and integrity. A current model suggests that genomic instability plays a major part in the pathophysiology of some lamin-related diseases. However, this model remains to be fully investigated. Here we discuss recent studies revealing novel functions for A-type lamins in the maintenance of telomeres and in the DNA damage response (DDR) pathway. These findings have shed some light onto the putative molecular mechanisms by which alterations in A-type lamins induce genomic instability and contribute to disease.
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Authors | Ignacio Gonzalez-Suarez, Susana Gonzalo |
Journal | Nucleus (Austin, Tex.)
(Nucleus)
2010 Mar-Apr
Vol. 1
Issue 2
Pg. 129-35
ISSN: 1949-1042 [Electronic] United States |
PMID | 21326943
(Publication Type: Journal Article, Review)
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Chemical References |
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Topics |
- Animals
- DNA Damage
(genetics)
- DNA Repair
(genetics)
- Genome
(genetics)
- Genomic Instability
- Humans
- Lamin Type A
(deficiency, metabolism)
- Telomere
(genetics, metabolism)
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