Nuclear Type I Myosins are Essential for Life and Genome Organization

The active transport of large biomolecules within a cell is critical for homeostasis. While the cytoplasmic process is well-studied, how the spacing of nucleoplasmic cargo is coordinated is poorly understood. We investigated the impact of myosin motors in the nucleus of budding yeast. We found that life requires a nuclear type I myosin whereas the essential type II or V myosins were not requisite in the nucleus. Nuclear depletion of type I myosins triggered 3D genome disorganization, nucleolar disruption, broad gene expression changes, and nuclear membrane morphology collapse. Genome disorganization occurred first supporting a model where type I myosins actively maintain genome architecture that scaffolds nuclear membrane and nucleolar morphologies. Overall, nuclear myosin is critical for the form and function of the nucleus.