Nuclear envelope-limited chromatin sheets (ELCS) and heterochromatin higher order structure.
The interphase nucleus and nuclear envelope can acquire a myriad of shapes in normal or pathological cell states. There exist a wide variety of indentations and invaginations, of protrusions and evaginations. It has been difficult to classify and name all of these nuclear shapes and, consequently, a barrier to understanding the biochemical and biophysical causes. This review focuses upon one type of nuclear envelope shape change, named "nuclear envelope-limited chromatin sheets" (ELCS), which appears to involve exaggerated nuclear envelope growth, carrying with it one or more layers of approximately 30 nm diameter heterochromatin. A hypothesis on the formation of ELCS is proposed, relating higher order heterochromatin structure in an interphase nucleus, nuclear envelope growth, and nuclear envelope-heterochromatin interactions.
Olins
Donald E
DE
Department of Biology, Bowdoin College, Brunswick, ME 04011, USA. dolins@bowdoin.edu
Olins
Ada L
AL
D000818:Animals; D002843:Chromatin / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D006570:Heterochromatin / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D006801:Humans; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D009685:Nuclear Envelope / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure*
D002843:Chromatin; D006570:Heterochromatin