LMNA (Lamin A/C). The third probe in the ranking corresponds to a LMNA (Lamin A/C), AY528714. Mutations on LMNA have been linked at 10 different human diseases [531, 532] . LMNA, due to its functions, could be involved in important cell fate decisions as lamins are involved in the organization of the functional state (and position) of interphase chromosome [531] . Lamins are ''scaffolders'' for the function of nuclear processes such as chromatin organization, DNA replication, cellular integrity and transcription [532] . As a consequence Lamins are involved in several clinical syndromes [533, 534, 535] . Among the recent functions attributed to LMNA is as an intrinsic modulator of ageing within adult stem cells via a mechanism where LMNA act as signalling receptors in the nucleus. These observations correspond to Pekovic and Hutchinson who observed that dysfunction of LMNA leads to inappropriate activation of self-renewal pathways and initiation of stress-induced senescense [536] . In lmna-deficient mouse embryonic fibroblasts (lmna(2/2) MEFs), the loss of lmna''dramatically affects the micromechanical properties of the cytoplasm'', since ''Both the elasticity (stretchiness) and the viscosity (propensity of a material to flow) of the cytoplasm in Lmna(2/2) MEFs are significantly reduced'' [537] . Using ballistic intracellular nanorheology to evaluate the micromechanical properties of the cytoplasm of these cells, Lee et al. conclude: ''Together these results show that both the mechanical properties of the cytoskeleton and cytoskeleton-based processes, including cell motility, coupled MTOC and nucleus dynamics, and cell polarization, depend critically on the integrity of the nuclear lamina, which suggest the existence of a functional mechanical connection between the nucleus and the cytoskeleton. These results also suggest that cell polarization during cell migration requires tight mechanical coupling between MTOC and nucleus, which is mediated by lamin A/C'' [537] (see also [538, 539] ). In addition to these very interesting findings, a functional association of LMNA and the retinoblastoma protein (pRB) exists. Nitta et al. have shown that pRB needs to be stabilized by LMNA for INK4A-mediated cell cycle arrest and that somatic mutations in LMNA may also have a role in tumor progression [540] . In mammalian cells, LMNA a) colocalizes with c-FOS at the nuclear envelope, b) suppresses AP-1 through a direct interaction with c-FOS and, in LMNA-null cells perinuclear localization of c-FOS is absent (but it is restored when it is overexpressed, c) LMNA-null cells have enhanced proliferation [74] . These results obtained by Ivorra et al. are giving the indication that of yet another mechanism of cell cycle and transcriptional control mediated by LMNA [74] (see also [541] ). LMNA has also been proposed as an inhibitor of adipocyte differentiation [542] . Hutchingson et al. have proposed the alias of ''guardian of the soma'' for lamins A and C as they seem to have ''essential functions in protecting cells from physical damage, as well as in maintaining the function of transcription factors required for the differentiation of adult stem cells'' [543] .