The nucleolus: a raft adrift in the nuclear sea or the keystone in nuclear structure?
The nucleolus: a raft adrift in the nuclear sea or the keystone in nuclear structure?
复制标题
DOI：
10.1515/bmc-2012-0043
复制
发表时间：
2013-06
影响因子：
--
通讯作者：
Ganley AR
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
O'Sullivan JM;Pai DA;Cridge AG;Engelke DR;Ganley AR
The nucleolus is a prominent nuclear structure that is the site of ribosomal RNA (rRNA) transcription, and hence ribosome biogenesis. Cellular demand for ribosomes, and hence rRNA, is tightly linked to cell growth and the rRNA makes up the majority of all the RNA within a cell. To fulfil the cellular demand for rRNA, the ribosomal RNA genes (rDNA) genes are amplified to high copy number and transcribed at very high rates. As such, understanding the rDNA has profound consequences for our comprehension of genome and transcriptional organization in cells. In this review we address the question of whether the nucleolus is a raft adrift the sea of nuclear DNA, or actively contributes to genome organization. We present evidence supporting the idea that the nucleolus, and the rDNA contained therein, play more roles in the biology of the cell than simply ribosome biogenesis. We propose that the nucleolus and the rDNA are central factors in the spatial organization of the genome, and that rapid alterations in nucleolar structure in response to changing conditions manifest themselves in altered genomic structures that have functional consequences. Finally, we discuss some predictions that result from the nucleolus having a central role in nuclear organization.
