Biology and Regulatory Roles of Nuclear Lamins in Cellular Function and Dysfunction.

Nuclear lamins, namely lamins A, B and C, surround the nucleoplasmic contents in a meshlike network called the nuclear lamina. These intermediate filaments provide a structural framework to the nuclear envelope (NE), play a role in arrangement of the chromatin within the nucleus, in DNA replication and also participate in DNA damage repair. In order for lamins to be involved in these important nuclear processes and to be functionally active, they undergo a series of post-translational modifications (farnesylation, endoproteolytic cleavage, carboxylmethylation etc.