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Annual Review of Biochemistry Jun 2019The nuclear pore complex (NPC) serves as the sole bidirectional gateway of macromolecules in and out of the nucleus. Owing to its size and complexity (∼1,000 protein... (Review)
Review
The nuclear pore complex (NPC) serves as the sole bidirectional gateway of macromolecules in and out of the nucleus. Owing to its size and complexity (∼1,000 protein subunits, ∼110 MDa in humans), the NPC has remained one of the foremost challenges for structure determination. Structural studies have now provided atomic-resolution crystal structures of most nucleoporins. The acquisition of these structures, combined with biochemical reconstitution experiments, cross-linking mass spectrometry, and cryo-electron tomography, has facilitated the determination of the near-atomic overall architecture of the symmetric core of the human, fungal, and algal NPCs. Here, we discuss the insights gained from these new advances and outstanding issues regarding NPC structure and function. The powerful combination of bottom-up and top-down approaches toward determining the structure of the NPC offers a paradigm for uncovering the architectures of other complex biological machines to near-atomic resolution.
Topics: Active Transport, Cell Nucleus; Animals; Cell Nucleus; Cryoelectron Microscopy; Crystallography, X-Ray; Eukaryota; Humans; Models, Molecular; Nuclear Pore; Nuclear Pore Complex Proteins; Protein Conformation; Protein Subunits; RNA, Messenger
PubMed: 30883195
DOI: 10.1146/annurev-biochem-062917-011901 -
Nature Cell Biology Jun 2022Mechanical force controls fundamental cellular processes in health and disease, and increasing evidence shows that the nucleus both experiences and senses applied...
Mechanical force controls fundamental cellular processes in health and disease, and increasing evidence shows that the nucleus both experiences and senses applied forces. Such forces can lead to the nuclear translocation of proteins, but whether force controls nucleocytoplasmic transport, and how, remains unknown. Here we show that nuclear forces differentially control passive and facilitated nucleocytoplasmic transport, setting the rules for the mechanosensitivity of shuttling proteins. We demonstrate that nuclear force increases permeability across nuclear pore complexes, with a dependence on molecular weight that is stronger for passive than for facilitated diffusion. Owing to this differential effect, force leads to the translocation of cargoes into or out of the nucleus within a given range of molecular weight and affinity for nuclear transport receptors. Further, we show that the mechanosensitivity of several transcriptional regulators can be both explained by this mechanism and engineered exogenously by introducing appropriate nuclear localization signals. Our work unveils a mechanism of mechanically induced signalling, probably operating in parallel with others, with potential applicability across signalling pathways.
Topics: Active Transport, Cell Nucleus; Cell Nucleus; Nuclear Pore; Protein Transport; Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear
PubMed: 35681009
DOI: 10.1038/s41556-022-00927-7 -
Cell Feb 2021Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) remains a major health threat. Viral capsid uncoating and nuclear import of the viral genome are critical for productive infection....
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) remains a major health threat. Viral capsid uncoating and nuclear import of the viral genome are critical for productive infection. The size of the HIV-1 capsid is generally believed to exceed the diameter of the nuclear pore complex (NPC), indicating that capsid uncoating has to occur prior to nuclear import. Here, we combined correlative light and electron microscopy with subtomogram averaging to capture the structural status of reverse transcription-competent HIV-1 complexes in infected T cells. We demonstrated that the diameter of the NPC in cellulo is sufficient for the import of apparently intact, cone-shaped capsids. Subsequent to nuclear import, we detected disrupted and empty capsid fragments, indicating that uncoating of the replication complex occurs by breaking the capsid open, and not by disassembly into individual subunits. Our data directly visualize a key step in HIV-1 replication and enhance our mechanistic understanding of the viral life cycle.
Topics: Active Transport, Cell Nucleus; Capsid; Cryoelectron Microscopy; HEK293 Cells; HIV Infections; HIV-1; Humans; Models, Biological; Nuclear Pore; Reverse Transcription; Virion; Virus Internalization; mRNA Cleavage and Polyadenylation Factors
PubMed: 33571428
DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2021.01.025 -
Neurotherapeutics : the Journal of the... Jul 2022The nuclear pore complex (NPC) is a large multimeric structure that is interspersed throughout the membrane of the nucleus and consists of at least 33 protein... (Review)
Review
The nuclear pore complex (NPC) is a large multimeric structure that is interspersed throughout the membrane of the nucleus and consists of at least 33 protein components. Individual components cooperate within the nuclear pore to facilitate selective passage of materials between the nucleus and cytoplasm while simultaneously performing pore-independent roles throughout the cell. NPC dysfunction is a hallmark of neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). NPC components can become mislocalized or altered in expression in neurodegeneration. These alterations in NPC structure are often detrimental to the neuronal function and ultimately lead to neuronal loss. This review highlights the importance of nucleocytoplasmic transport and NPC integrity and how dysfunction of such may contribute to neurodegeneration.
Topics: Humans; Nuclear Pore; Active Transport, Cell Nucleus; Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis; Cytoplasm; Cell Nucleus
PubMed: 36070178
DOI: 10.1007/s13311-022-01293-w -
International Journal of Molecular... May 2022The relationship between transcription and aging is one that has been studied intensively and experimentally with diverse attempts. However, the impact of the nuclear... (Review)
Review
The relationship between transcription and aging is one that has been studied intensively and experimentally with diverse attempts. However, the impact of the nuclear mRNA export on the aging process following its transcription is still poorly understood, although the nuclear events after transcription are coupled closely with the transcription pathway because the essential factors required for mRNA transport, namely TREX, TREX-2, and nuclear pore complex (NPC), physically and functionally interact with various transcription factors, including the activator/repressor and pre-mRNA processing factors. Dysregulation of the mediating factors for mRNA export from the nucleus generally leads to the aberrant accumulation of nuclear mRNA and further impairment in the vegetative growth and normal lifespan and the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. The optimal stoichiometry and density of NPC are destroyed during the process of cellular aging, and their damage triggers a defect of function in the nuclear permeability barrier. This review describes recent findings regarding the role of the nuclear mRNA export in cellular aging and age-related neurodegenerative disorders.
Topics: Active Transport, Cell Nucleus; Cell Nucleus; Nuclear Pore; RNA Transport; RNA, Messenger
PubMed: 35628261
DOI: 10.3390/ijms23105451 -
Cell Jan 2022Nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) mediate the nucleocytoplasmic transport of macromolecules. Here we provide a structure of the isolated yeast NPC in which the inner ring is...
Nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) mediate the nucleocytoplasmic transport of macromolecules. Here we provide a structure of the isolated yeast NPC in which the inner ring is resolved by cryo-EM at sub-nanometer resolution to show how flexible connectors tie together different structural and functional layers. These connectors may be targets for phosphorylation and regulated disassembly in cells with an open mitosis. Moreover, some nucleoporin pairs and transport factors have similar interaction motifs, which suggests an evolutionary and mechanistic link between assembly and transport. We provide evidence for three major NPC variants that may foreshadow functional specializations at the nuclear periphery. Cryo-electron tomography extended these studies, providing a model of the in situ NPC with a radially expanded inner ring. Our comprehensive model reveals features of the nuclear basket and central transporter, suggests a role for the lumenal Pom152 ring in restricting dilation, and highlights structural plasticity that may be required for transport.
Topics: Adaptation, Physiological; Amino Acid Motifs; Amino Acid Sequence; Fluorescence; Molecular Docking Simulation; Nuclear Envelope; Nuclear Pore; Nuclear Pore Complex Proteins; Protein Domains; Reproducibility of Results; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins
PubMed: 34982960
DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2021.12.015 -
Nature Reviews. Neurology Jun 2022The genetic underpinnings and end-stage pathological hallmarks of neurodegenerative diseases are increasingly well defined, but the cellular pathophysiology of disease... (Review)
Review
The genetic underpinnings and end-stage pathological hallmarks of neurodegenerative diseases are increasingly well defined, but the cellular pathophysiology of disease initiation and propagation remains poorly understood, especially in sporadic forms of these diseases. Altered nucleocytoplasmic transport is emerging as a prominent pathomechanism of multiple neurodegenerative diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer disease, frontotemporal dementia and Huntington disease. The nuclear pore complex (NPC) and interactions between its individual nucleoporin components and nuclear transport receptors regulate nucleocytoplasmic transport, as well as genome organization and gene expression. Specific nucleoporin abnormalities have been identified in sporadic and familial forms of neurodegenerative disease, and these alterations are thought to contribute to disrupted nucleocytoplasmic transport. The specific nucleoporins and nucleocytoplasmic transport proteins that have been linked to different neurodegenerative diseases are partially distinct, suggesting that NPC injury contributes to the cellular specificity of neurodegenerative disease and could be an early initiator of the pathophysiological cascades that underlie neurodegenerative disease. This concept is consistent with the fact that rare genetic mutations in some nucleoporins cause cell-type-specific neurological disease. In this Review, we discuss nucleoporin and NPC disruptions and consider their impact on cellular function and the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative disease.
Topics: Active Transport, Cell Nucleus; Frontotemporal Dementia; Humans; Neurodegenerative Diseases; Nuclear Pore; Nuclear Pore Complex Proteins
PubMed: 35488039
DOI: 10.1038/s41582-022-00653-6 -
Cells Aug 2021Nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) at the surface of nuclear membranes play a critical role in regulating the transport of both small molecules and macromolecules between the...
Nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) at the surface of nuclear membranes play a critical role in regulating the transport of both small molecules and macromolecules between the cell nucleus and cytoplasm via their multilayered spiderweb-like central channel. During mitosis, nuclear envelope breakdown leads to the rapid disintegration of NPCs, allowing some NPC proteins to play crucial roles in the kinetochore structure, spindle bipolarity, and centrosome homeostasis. The aberrant functioning of nucleoporins (Nups) and NPCs has been associated with autoimmune diseases, viral infections, neurological diseases, cardiomyopathies, and cancers, especially leukemia. This Special Issue highlights several new contributions to the understanding of NPC proteostasis.
Topics: Cell Nucleus; Humans; Kinetochores; Nanomedicine; Nuclear Pore
PubMed: 34440892
DOI: 10.3390/cells10082123 -
The EMBO Journal Aug 2022Nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) mediate communication between the nucleus and the cytoplasm, and regulate gene expression by interacting with transcription and mRNA export...
Nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) mediate communication between the nucleus and the cytoplasm, and regulate gene expression by interacting with transcription and mRNA export factors. Lysine acetyltransferases (KATs) promote transcription through acetylation of chromatin-associated proteins. We find that Esa1, the KAT subunit of the yeast NuA4 complex, also acetylates the nuclear pore basket component Nup60 to promote mRNA export. Acetylation of Nup60 recruits the mRNA export factor Sac3, the scaffolding subunit of the Transcription and Export 2 (TREX-2) complex, to the nuclear basket. The Esa1-mediated nuclear export of mRNAs in turn promotes entry into S phase, which is inhibited by the Hos3 deacetylase in G1 daughter cells to restrain their premature commitment to a new cell division cycle. This mechanism is not only limited to G1/S-expressed genes but also inhibits the expression of the nutrient-regulated GAL1 gene specifically in daughter cells. Overall, these results reveal how acetylation can contribute to the functional plasticity of NPCs in mother and daughter yeast cells. In addition, our work demonstrates dual gene expression regulation by the evolutionarily conserved NuA4 complex, at the level of transcription and at the stage of mRNA export by modifying the nucleoplasmic entrance to nuclear pores.
Topics: Acetylation; Active Transport, Cell Nucleus; Cell Cycle; Histone Acetyltransferases; Histone Deacetylases; Nuclear Pore; Nuclear Pore Complex Proteins; RNA, Messenger; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; Saccharomycetales
PubMed: 35735140
DOI: 10.15252/embj.2021110271 -
Molecular Neurobiology Mar 2021Transport of proteins, transcription factors, and other signaling molecules between the nucleus and cytoplasm is necessary for signal transduction. The study of these... (Review)
Review
Transport of proteins, transcription factors, and other signaling molecules between the nucleus and cytoplasm is necessary for signal transduction. The study of these transport phenomena is particularly challenging in neurons because of their highly polarized structure. The bidirectional exchange of molecular cargoes across the nuclear envelope (NE) occurs through nuclear pore complexes (NPCs), which are aqueous channels embedded in the nuclear envelope. The NE and NPCs regulate nuclear transport but are also emerging as relevant regulators of chromatin organization and gene expression. The alterations in nuclear transport are regularly identified in affected neurons associated with human neurodegenerative diseases. This review presents insights into the roles played by nuclear transport defects in neurodegenerative disease, focusing primarily on NE proteins and NPCs. The subcellular mislocalization of proteins might be a very desirable means of therapeutic intervention in neurodegenerative disorders.
Topics: Active Transport, Cell Nucleus; Animals; Humans; Neurodegenerative Diseases; Nuclear Envelope; Nuclear Pore; Nuclear Pore Complex Proteins; RNA Transport
PubMed: 33067781
DOI: 10.1007/s12035-020-02168-x