Stressing on the nucleolus in cardiovascular disease

•The nucleolus functions as a stress sensor in cardiovascular disease.•Nucleolar enlargement and disruption are consequences of nucleolar stress.•Nucleolar proteins are important for cardiac growth and survival.

The nucleolus is a multifunctional organelle with multiple roles involving cell proliferation, growth, survival, ribosome biogenesis and stress response signaling. Alteration of nucleolar morphology and architecture signifies an early response to increased cellular stress. This review briefly summarizes nucleolar response to cardiac stress signals and details the role played by nucleolar proteins in cardiovascular pathophysiology. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Role of the Nucleolus in Human Disease.