title: Characterization of the elastic properties of the nuclear envelope.
abstract: Underlying the nuclear envelope (NE) of most eukaryotic cells is the nuclear lamina, a meshwork consisting largely of coiled-coil nuclear intermediate filament proteins that play a critical role in nuclear organization and gene expression, and are vital for the structural stability of the NE/nucleus. By confocal microscopy and micromanipulation of the NE in living cells and isolated nuclei, we show that the NE undergoes deformations without large-scale rupture and maintains structural stability when exposed to mechanical stress. In conjunction with image analysis, we have developed theory for a two-dimensional elastic material to quantify NE elastic behaviour. We show that the NE is elastic and exhibits characteristics of a continuous two-dimensional solid, including connections between lamins and the embedded nuclear pore complexes. Correlating models of NE lateral organization to the experimental findings indicates a heterogeneous lateral distribution of NE components on a mesoscopic scale.
authors.affiliation: MEMPHYS-Center for Biomembrane Physics, Department of Physics, Campusvej 55, University of Southern Denmark, 5230 Odense M, Denmark.
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Rowat
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Foster
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Nielsen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Ipsen
mesh_terms: D004548:Elasticity; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D034904:Lamin Type A; D009685:Nuclear Envelope / Q000737:chemistry*; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000378:metabolism; D012212:Rheology
chemical_list: D034904:Lamin Type A; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D011498:Protein Precursors; C090764:prelamin A