CaaX-less lamins: Lophotrochozoa provide a glance at the playground of evolution

Nuclear lamins are the main components of the nuclear lamina in many eukaryotes. They are members of the intermediate filament (IF) protein family. Lamins differ from cytoplasmic IF proteins by the presence of a nuclear localisation sequence (NLS) and a C-terminal tetrapeptide, the CaaX motif. The CaaX motif is target of post-translational modifications including isoprenylation, proteolytic processing, and carboxyl-methylation. These modifications, in conjunction with the NLS, direct lamins to the inner nuclear membrane where they assemble into filaments. Lamins lacking a CaaX motif are unable to associate independently with nuclear membranes and remain in the nucleoplasm. So far, three species have been reported to exclusively express CaaX-less lamins. All three belong to the lophotrochozoan lineage. To find out whether they represent rare exceptions, we analysed lamins of representatives of 17 lophotrochozoan phyla. Here we report that all four clades of Rotifera as well as individual taxa of Mollusca and Annelida lack CaaX-lamins, but express lamins with alternative C-termini. Of note, the respective mollusc and annelid groups occupy very different phylogenetic ranks. Most of these alternative C-termini are rich in aromatic residues. A possible function of these residues in membrane association is discussed. Alternative splicing of terebellid lamin transcripts gives rise to two lamin variants, one with a CaaX motif and one with an alternative C-terminus. A similar situation is found in Arenicolidae, Opheliidae, Capitellidae, and Echiura. This points a way, how the switch from lamins carrying a CaaX motif to lamins with alternative C-termini may have occurred. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00709-022-01809-3.