NMCP/LINC proteins: putative lamin analogs in plants?

Lamins are the main components of the metazoan lamina, and while the organization of the nuclear lamina of metazoans and plants is similar, there are apparently no genes encoding lamins or most lamin-binding proteins in plants. Thus, the plant lamina is not lamin-based and the proteins that form this structure are still to be characterized. Members of the plant NMCP/LINC/CRWN protein family share the typical tripartite structure of lamins, although the 2 exhibit no sequence similarity. However, given the many similarities between NMCP/LINC/CRWN proteins and lamins (structural organization, position of conserved regions, sub-nuclear distribution, solubility, and pattern of expression), these proteins are good candidates to carry out the functions of lamins in plants. Moreover, functional analysis of NMCP/LINC mutants has revealed their involvement in maintaining nuclear size and shape, another activity fulfilled by lamins. This review summarizes the current understanding of NMCP/LINC proteins and discusses future studies that will be required to demonstrate definitively that these proteins are plant analogs of lamins.