The leukocyte nucleus must be sufficiently elastic to squeeze through tissue barriers during migration, but not so collapsible as to risk damaging chromatin. The proper balance is struck in part by the composition of the nuclear lamina, a flexible meshwork composed mainly of intermediate filaments woven from type A and type B lamin proteins, that is located subjacent to the inner nuclear membrane. There is now increasing evidence that, in addition to influencing nuclear shape and stiffness and cell migration, lamins and lamin-interacting proteins may also interact functionally with chromatin to influence leukocyte gene expression, differentiation, and effector function, including T cell differentiation, B cell somatic hypermutation, and the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETosis).

白细胞核必须具有足够的弹性，以在迁移过程中通过组织屏障挤压，但不能折叠，以免损害染色质。核层的组成部分达到了适当的平衡，核层是一种柔性网，主要由由A型和B型层粘蛋白编织而成的中间细丝组成，位于中间核膜的下面。现在有越来越多的证据表明，除了影响核的形状和硬度以及细胞迁移之外，层粘连蛋白和层粘连蛋白相互作用蛋白还可能与染色质发生功能性相互作用，从而影响白细胞基因的表达，分化和效应子功能，包括T细胞分化，B细胞体细胞高突变，并形成嗜中性粒细胞胞外陷阱（NETosis）。