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Review

The nuclear envelopathies and human diseases

Ya-Hui Chi¹ , Zi-Jie Chen¹ and Kuan-Teh Jeang^2,3

¹  Institute of Cellular and System Medicine, National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan 35053, Taiwan, Republic of China

²  Molecular Virology Section, Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA

³  Building 4, Room 306, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20892-0460, USA

author email corresponding author email

Journal of Biomedical Science 2009, 16:96doi:10.1186/1423-0127-16-96

Published:	22 October 2009

Abstract

The nuclear envelope (NE) consists of two membrane layers that segregate the nuclear from the cytoplasmic contents. Recent progress in our understanding of nuclear-lamina associated diseases has revealed intriguing connections between the envelope components and nuclear processes. Here, we review the functions of the nuclear envelope in chromosome organization, gene expression, DNA repair and cell cycle progression, and correlate deficiencies in envelope function with human pathologies.