Nesprins in Cell Stability and Migration

Nesprins are a family of proteins that are primarily known for their localization along the nuclear envelope. Together with inner nuclear membrane SUN proteins, they form the core of the LINC (Linker of Nucleoskeleton and Cytoskeleton) complex that traverses both nuclear membranes to connect the cytoplasm and the nuclear interior. Based on their structure and interactions, Nesprins integrate the nucleus into the cytoskeleton of a cell. Mutations in Nesprins have been identified in a group of human diseases that have been summarized as laminopathies. Cellular functions of the Nesprins and recent studies on different cancer types additionally draw interest on Nesprins in the field of cancer research. Here we summarize recent findings about the structural arrangements of Nesprins along the nuclear envelope, and highlight Nesprin functions in basic cellular processes like maintenance of nuclear shape and size, and of nuclear and cellular or cytoskeletal organization, centrosomal positioning, cell migration, and signal transduction. In summary, Nesprins are involved in critical cellular processes, which in case of malfunction contribute to the formation of cancer and might represent novel targets in cancer diagnosis or for therapeutic intervention.