The nuclear envelope safeguards the genetic material inside the nucleus by separating it from the cytoplasm. Until recently, it was assumed that nuclear envelope (NE) breakdown occurs only in a highly controlled fashion during mitosis when the chromatin is condensed and divided between the daughter cells. However, recent studies have demonstrated that adherent and migrating cells exhibit transient NE rupture during interphase caused by compression from cytoskeletal or external forces. NE rupture results in uncontrolled exchange between the nuclear interior and cytoplasm and leads to DNA damage. In this review, we discuss the causes and consequences of NE rupture, and how NE rupture could contribute to genomic instability.

核被膜通过将其与细胞质分离来保护核内的遗传物质。直到最近，还假定核染色质（NE）的分解仅在染色质浓缩并分裂到子细胞之间的有丝分裂过程中以高度受控的方式发生。但是，最近的研究表明，粘附细胞和迁移细胞在相间期间会因细胞骨架或外力的压缩而出现短暂的NE破裂。NE破裂导致核内部与细胞质之间不受控制的交换，并导致DNA损伤。在这篇综述中，我们讨论了NE破裂的原因和后果，以及NE破裂如何导致基因组不稳定。