The plant nuclear envelope

This review summarizes our present knowledge about the composition and function of the plant nuclear envelope. Compared with animals or yeast, our molecular understanding of the nuclear envelope in higher plants is in its infancy. However, fundamental differences in the structure and function of the plant and animal nuclear envelope have already been found. Here, we compare and contrast these differences with respect to nuclear pore complexes, targeting of Ran signaling to the nuclear envelope, inner nuclear envelope proteins, and the role and fate of the nuclear envelope during mitosis. Further investigation of the emerging fundamental differences as well as the similarities between kingdoms might illuminate why there appears to be more than one blueprint for building a nucleus.Abbreviations GFP Green fluorescent protein - INE Inner nuclear envelope - LAP Lamina-associated polypeptide - LBR Lamin B receptor - MTOC Microtubule-organizing center - NE Nuclear envelope - NPC Nuclear pore complex - ONE Outer nuclear envelope - RanBP Ran-binding protein - RanGAP Ran GTPase-activating protein - WPP domain Tryptophan–proline–proline domain