Nuclear envelope (NE)

The nuclear envelope (NE) is a highly regulated double-membrane structure that separates the nucleus from the cytoplasm in eukaryotic cells. It consists of the inner and outer nuclear membranes, which are perforated by nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) that govern the selective exchange of proteins and RNA (doi:10.1038/nrm.2017.93). Beneath the inner membrane lies the nuclear lamina, a proteinaceous meshwork primarily composed of lamins that provides mechanical stability and organizes chromatin (doi:10.1101/cshperspect.a011130). In disease, mutations in NE components—collectively known as laminopathies—lead to premature aging, muscular dystrophies, and cardiomyopathies. From a therapeutic perspective, the NE is a critical site for drug action; for example, Selinexor targets the nuclear export protein XPO1 located at the NE to retain tumor-suppressor proteins within the nucleus of cancer cells (doi:10.1186/s13045-018-0603-z). Additionally, the drug Lonafarnib is used to treat Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome by preventing the abnormal farnesylation and subsequent membrane anchoring of progerin, a mutant form of lamin A (doi:10.1001/jama.2018.3120). While essentially a cellular organelle rather than a single molecular target, its components represent vital nodes for clinical intervention in oncology and genetic disorders.

Other names

Nuclear membraneNucleolemmaKaryothecaPerinuclear envelope