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Lamins are proteins that provide structural support to the cell nucleus by forming a fibrous mesh beneath the nuclear membrane called the nuclear lamina. In addition to providing structural support, soluble lamins and lamin-associated proteins (LAPs), play a crucial role in organizing chromatin and regulating gene expression. The molecular mechanisms that underlie these processes, however, remain unclear. In a recent Nucleic Acids Research publication, the Foisner lab revealed that LAP2α drives muscle cell differentiation by controlling the distribution of lamins A and C on chromatin.