Nuclear dimorphism

Nuclear dimorphism is a term referred to the special characteristic of having two different kinds of nuclei in a cell.

The compositions of the nuclear pore complexes help determine the properties of the macronucleus and micronucleus.

Nuclear dimorphism is continuously being studied to understand exactly how the mechanism works and how it is beneficial to cells.

The micronucleus is globally repressed during the vegetative state, and serves as the diploid germline nucleus, whereas all known vegetative gene expression happens in the macronucleus, which is a polyploid somatic nucleus.

It also aids in the activity and control of the cytoplasm along with the nuclear events that happen within the cell.

These zygotic nuclei can follow a process and differentiate into macronucleus or micronucleus cells.

[1] Recent research has shown that the nuclear pore complexes in a binucleated ciliate may be distinct in their composition.

[1] As previously mentioned, research has been done involving Tetrahymena, a unicellular eukaryote.

These nuclei are destroyed via a mechanism called programmed nuclear death.

Which molecules can pass through depends on the nuclear pores of macronucleus and micronucleus.

This difference is thought to be attributed to the makeup of proteins and nuclear pore complex arrangement between the two nuclei types.

[5] Tetrahymena continue to be explored and researched in order to understand how they work and how they manage their complex biological processes.