Abstract
EUKARYOTIC cells display polarity both in vivo and in vitro, the nucleus being located in a specific region of the cytoplasm. Ultrastructural studies have suggested that various cytoplasmic filamentous structures may be responsible for the anchorage of nuclei in cells in vivo1–4. Microfilaments and microtubules are well characterised as cytoskeletal elements of eukaryotic cells5,6. The function of other cytoplasmic filamentous structures, including the intermediate filaments (10 nm filaments)7,8 and the ground cytoplasmic filamentous network9–11 has not been established. It is also still unclear which of the filamentous structures are responsible for the skeletal function and whether other cytoplasmic structures are involved in the maintenance of the cytoplasmic organisation. Based on ultrastructural, immunofluorescence and biochemical studies, we show here that intermediate filaments mediate the attachment of the nuclei to the growth substratum in the nuclear monolayers of cultured human embryonic fibroblasts. We also suggest that the intermediate filaments have a major role in nuclear anchorage in living cells.
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LEHTO, VP., VIRTANEN, I. & KURKI, P. Intermediate filaments anchor the nuclei in nuclear monolayers of cultured human fibroblasts. Nature 272, 175–177 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1038/272175a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/272175a0
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