A novel family of plant nuclear envelope-associated proteins.
This paper describes the characterisation of a new family of higher plant nuclear envelope-associated proteins (NEAPs) that interact with other proteins of the nuclear envelope. In the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, the family consists of three genes expressed ubiquitously (AtNEAP1-3) and a pseudogene (AtNEAP4). NEAPs consist of extensive coiled-coil domains, followed by a nuclear localisation signal and a C-terminal predicted transmembrane domain. Domain deletion mutants confirm the presence of a functional nuclear localisation signal and transmembrane domain. AtNEAP proteins localise to the nuclear periphery as part of stable protein complexes, are able to form homo- and heteromers, and interact with the SUN domain proteins AtSUN1 and AtSUN2, involved in the linker of nucleoskeleton and cytoskeleton (LINC) complex. An A. thaliana cDNA library screen identified a putative transcription factor called AtbZIP18 as a novel interactor of AtNEAP1, which suggest a connection between NEAP and chromatin. An Atneap1 Atneap3 double-knockout mutant showed reduced root growth, and altered nuclear morphology and chromatin structure. Thus AtNEAPs are suggested as inner nuclear membrane-anchored coiled-coil proteins with roles in maintaining nuclear morphology and chromatin structure.
['Pawar|Vidya|V|', 'Poulet|Axel|A|', 'Détourné|Gwénaëlle|G|', 'Tatout|Christophe|C|', 'Vanrobays|Emmanuel|E|', 'Evans|David E|DE|', 'Graumann|Katja|K|']
D017360:Arabidopsis D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins D015153:Blotting, Western D002843:Chromatin D003001:Cloning, Molecular D003599:Cytoskeleton D017343:Genes, Plant D008565:Membrane Proteins D018613:Microscopy, Confocal D009685:Nuclear Envelope D010802:Phylogeny D020798:Two-Hybrid System Techniques
higher plant nuclear envelope Arabidopsis thaliana nucleoskeleton chromatin LINC complex inner nuclear membrane nuclear lamina nucleus.