About this Research Topic
The size and shape of the nucleus vary in different cell types and can change during developmental progression, cellular differentiation, and aging. Aberrant nuclear morphology is associated with a multitude of disease states, including cancers and laminopathies. While some mechanisms responsible for determining nuclear morphology have been elucidated, much less is known about how nuclear morphology becomes altered in disease and whether nuclear morphology directly impacts cell function.
The goal of this Research Topic is to begin to address the functional significance of nuclear morphology. Studies of particular interest will address how nuclear morphology contributes to faithful embryonic development, for instance in terms of gene regulation, nuclear and chromatin organization, cell cycle progression, and cell motility. Recent advances in studying chromatin structure and dynamics may prove particularly illuminating. Also of interest will be studies of how nuclear morphology impacts disease progression, such as effects on metastatic potential in cancer or nuclear integrity in laminopathies. These studies may benefit from new approaches to investigating nuclear mechanics and the various forces that impinge on the nucleus. Basic studies on nuclear morphology across organisms will also be considered, including the particularly timely topic of identifying the source of newly synthesized nuclear membrane during nuclear growth or expansion.
Areas to be covered in this Research Topic may include, but are not limited to:
· Functional significance of nuclear morphology in embryonic development.
· Functional significance of nuclear morphology during disease progression.
· Mechanisms responsible for regulating nuclear size and/or shape.
· Roles for nuclear morphology regulators in other cellular processes.
· Nuclear morphology in cellular stress.
All manuscript types will be considered, with a particular emphasis on Original Research and Brief Research Reports, Reviews, Hypothesis and Theory manuscripts, and Perspectives.
The goal of this Research Topic is to begin to address the functional significance of nuclear morphology. Studies of particular interest will address how nuclear morphology contributes to faithful embryonic development, for instance in terms of gene regulation, nuclear and chromatin organization, cell cycle progression, and cell motility. Recent advances in studying chromatin structure and dynamics may prove particularly illuminating. Also of interest will be studies of how nuclear morphology impacts disease progression, such as effects on metastatic potential in cancer or nuclear integrity in laminopathies. These studies may benefit from new approaches to investigating nuclear mechanics and the various forces that impinge on the nucleus. Basic studies on nuclear morphology across organisms will also be considered, including the particularly timely topic of identifying the source of newly synthesized nuclear membrane during nuclear growth or expansion.
Areas to be covered in this Research Topic may include, but are not limited to:
· Functional significance of nuclear morphology in embryonic development.
· Functional significance of nuclear morphology during disease progression.
· Mechanisms responsible for regulating nuclear size and/or shape.
· Roles for nuclear morphology regulators in other cellular processes.
· Nuclear morphology in cellular stress.
All manuscript types will be considered, with a particular emphasis on Original Research and Brief Research Reports, Reviews, Hypothesis and Theory manuscripts, and Perspectives.
Keywords: nucleus, nuclear size, nuclear shape, development, cancer, laminopathies
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
