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Internal organisation of the nucleus: assembly of compartments by macromolecular crowding and the nuclear matrix model
Author(s) -
Hancock Ronald
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
biology of the cell
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.543
H-Index - 85
eISSN - 1768-322X
pISSN - 0248-4900
DOI - 10.1016/j.biolcel.2004.05.003
Subject(s) - macromolecular crowding , macromolecule , nucleus , compartment (ship) , nucleolus , biophysics , biology , macromolecular substances , cell nucleus , matrix (chemical analysis) , nuclear matrix , cellular compartment , fibril , microbiology and biotechnology , chemistry , dna , biochemistry , cell , chromatin , oceanography , chromatography , geology
Many and possibly all macromolecules in the nucleus are segregated into discrete compartments, but the current model that this is achieved by a fibrillar nuclear matrix which structures the nuclear interior and compartments is not consistent with all experimental observations, as reviewed here. New results are presented which suggest that macromolecular crowding forces play a crucial role in the assembly of at least two compartments, nucleoli and PML bodies, and an in vitro system in which crowding assembles macromolecular complexes into structures which resemble nuclear compartments is described. Crowding forces, which are strong in the nucleus due to the high macromolecule concentration (in the range of 100 mg/ml), vastly increase the association constants of intermolecular interactions and can segregate different macromolecules into discrete phases. The model that they play a role in compartmentalisation of the nucleus is generally consistent with the properties of compartments, including their spherical or quasispherical form and their dynamic and mobile nature.