The membrane system that encloses genomic DNA is referred
to as the nuclear envelope. However, with emerging roles in
signaling and gene expression, these membranes clearly serve
as more than just a physical barrier separating the nucleus and
cytoplasm. Recent progress in our understanding of nuclear
envelope architecture and composition has also revealed an
intriguing connection between constituents of the nuclear
envelope and human disease, providing further impetus to
decipher this cellular structure and the dramatic remodeling
process it undergoes with each cell division.