Functional Interactions of BAF and LEM Proteins in the Formation of Germ Cells

Abstract

Restoration of the nuclear structure after cell division requires specific interactions between the integral proteins of the inner nuclear membrane, which have a special LAP2-emerin-MAN1 domain (LEMD), nuclear lamina proteins (lamins), and the conserved barrier-to-autointegration factor (BAF) protein, which acts as a central link in these interactions that provide the topological relationships of chromatin and nuclear envelope. The dynamic transformations of these protein ensembles in the mitotic cycle have been characterized in detail at the molecular level; however, less attention is paid to developing germ cells undergoing meiotic divisions, despite the fact that their nuclei (especially in the case of diplotene oocytes) differ significantly in structure from somatic cells. This review summarizes the still relatively scarce experimental data proving the significance of functional interactions between BAF and LEMD proteins for gamete formation, from the isolation of germline cells to the transformation of haploid spermatids into morphologically mature spermatozoa.