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(Circulation Research. 2008;103:16.)
© 2008 American Heart Association, Inc.

Review

Emerin and the Nuclear Lamina in Muscle and Cardiac Disease

James M. Holaska

From the Department of Medicine, Section of Cardiology, University of Chicago, Ill.

Correspondence to James M. Holaska, Department of Medicine, Section of Cardiology, University of Chicago, 5841 S Maryland Ave, MC 6088, Chicago, IL 60637. E-mail jholaska{at}uchicago.edu

This Review is part of a thematic series on Nuclear Mechanotransduction, which includes the following articles:

Nuclear Shape, Mechanics, and Mechanotransduction

Emerin and the Nuclear Lamina in Muscle and Cardiac Disease

Mechanical Control of Tissue Morphogenesis
Dennis Discher Guest Editor

The human genome is contained within the nucleus and is separated from the cytoplasm by the nuclear envelope. Mutations in the nuclear envelope proteins emerin and lamin A cause a number of diseases including premature aging syndromes, muscular dystrophy, and cardiomyopathy. Emerin and lamin A are implicated in regulating muscle- and heart-specific gene expression and nuclear architecture. For example, lamin A regulates the expression and localization of gap junction and intercalated disc components. Additionally, emerin and lamin A are also required to maintain nuclear envelope integrity. Demonstrating the importance of maintaining nuclear integrity in heart disease, atrioventricular node cells lacking lamin A exhibit increased nuclear deformation and apoptosis. This review highlights the present understanding of lamin A and emerin function in regulating nuclear architecture, gene expression, and cell signaling and discusses putative mechanisms for how specific mutations in lamin A and emerin cause cardiac- or muscle-specific disease.

Key Words: lamin • emerin • LINC • LEM domain • nuclear envelope • nesprin • SUN • Emery–Dreifuss muscular dystrophy

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