Spatial chromatin organization and gene regulation at the nuclear lamina

Abstract

The nuclear lamina (NL) consists of a thin meshwork of lamins and associated proteins that lines the inner nuclear membrane (INM). In metazoan nuclei, a large proportion of the genome contacts the NL in broad lamina-associated domains (LADs). Contacts of the NL with the genome are believed to aid the spatial organization of chromosomes and contribute to the regulation of transcription. Here, we will focus on recent insights in the structural organization of the genome at the NL and the role of this organization in the regulation of gene expression.