title: Nuclear lamina builds tissues from the stem cell niche.
abstract: Recent studies show that nuclear lamins, the type V intermediate filament proteins, are required for proper building of at least some organs. As the major structural components of the nuclear lamina found underneath the inner nuclear membranes, lamins are ubiquitously expressed in all animal cells. How the broadly expressed lamins support the building of specific tissues is not understood. By studying Drosophila testis, we have uncovered a mechanism by which lamin-B functions in the cyst stem cell (CySC) and its differentiated cyst cell, the cell types known to form the niche/microenvironment for the germline stem cells (GSC) and the developing germ line, to ensure testis organogenesis (1). In this extra view, we discuss some remaining questions and the implications of our findings in the understanding of how the ubiquitous nuclear lamina regulates tissue building in a context-dependent manner.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Embryology; Carnegie Institution for Science; Baltimore, MD USA.
authors.forename: Haiyang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yixian
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zheng
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000502:physiology*; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D034921:Lamin Type B / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009024:Morphogenesis; D034881:Nuclear Lamina / Q000502:physiology*; D028861:Nuclear Pore Complex Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D013737:Testis / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D034921:Lamin Type B; D028861:Nuclear Pore Complex Proteins; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor
keywords: Nuclear lamina; cyst stem cell; germline stem cell; integtrin; lamin; nucleoporins; organogenesis; stem cell niche