Nurturing the genome: A-type lamins preserve genomic stability

A-type lamins provide a scaffold for tethering chromatin and protein complexes regulating nuclear structure and function. Interest in lamins increased after mutations in the LMNA gene were found to be associated with a variety of human disorders termed laminopathies. These include muscular dystrophy, cardiomyopathy, lipodystrophy, peripheral neuropathy and premature aging syndromes such as progeria. In addition, altered expression of A-type lamins is emerging as a contributing factor to tumorigenesis. How different alterations in a gene that is ubiquitously expressed can cause such an array of systemic as well as tissue specific diseases remains an enigma. Several lines of evidence indicate that mutant forms of A-type lamins impact on genome function and integrity. A current model suggests that genomic instability plays a major part in the pathophysiology of some lamin-related diseases. However, this model remains to be fully investigated. Here we discuss recent studies revealing novel functions for A-type lamins in the maintenance of telomeres and in the DNA damage response (DDR) pathway. These findings have shed some light onto the putative molecular mechanisms by which alterations in A-type lamins induce genomic instability and contribute to disease.