The role of Ran in nuclear function

Protons and neutrons, collectively called nucleons, are packed together tightly in a nucleus. With a radius of about 10−15 meters, a nucleus is quite small compared to the radius of the entire atom, which is about 10−10 meters. Nuclei are extremely dense compared to bulk matter, averaging 1.8 × 1014 grams per cubic centimeter. If the earth’s density were equal to the average nuclear density, the earth’s radius would be only about 200 meters.
To hold positively charged protons together in the...

Controlled nuclear fission reactions are used to generate electricity. Any nuclear reactor that produces power via the fission of uranium or plutonium by bombardment with neutrons has six components: nuclear fuel consisting of fissionable material, a nuclear moderator, a neutron source, control rods, reactor coolant, and a shield and containment system.
Nuclear Fuels
Nuclear fuel consists of a fissile isotope, such as uranium-235, which must be present in sufficient quantity to provide a...

Nuclear transmutation is the conversion of one nuclide into another. It can occur by the radioactive decay of a nucleus, or the reaction of a nucleus with another particle. The first manmade nucleus was produced in Ernest Rutherford’s laboratory in 1919 by a transmutation reaction, the bombardment of one type of nuclei with other nuclei or with neutrons. Rutherford bombarded nitrogen-14 atoms with high-speed α particles from a natural radioactive isotope of radium and observed protons being...

Nuclear protein sorting is the selective trafficking of histones, polymerases, gene regulatory proteins into the nucleus and exporting RNAs and ribosomes to the cytosol. It is a tightly controlled process that regulates gene expression within a cell.
Proteins targeted to the nucleus carry nuclear localization signals or NLS recognized by import receptors in the cytosol. Similarly, proteins with nuclear export signals are recognized by export receptors. Import and export receptors are...

The nucleus restricts several proteins within and allows others to pass. The restricted proteins possess a nuclear retention sequence or NRS, anchoring them to the nuclear lamins and preventing their transport to the cytosol. The non-restricted proteins, after their synthesis, are transported to their site of action, such as the cytosol or other organelles, with the help of nuclear export signals or NES.
NES are of three types- the canonical 10-residue long leucine-rich signal and other...

Ras-related nuclear protein or Ran is a small G protein that cycles between its GTP and GDP bound states. Ran specific regulators, a Ran GTPase Activating Protein or RanGAP present in the cytosol and a Ran guanine nucleotide exchange factor or RanGEF present inside the nucleus regulate GTP/GDP exchange. A high concentration of GTP inside the cells, in addition to this asymmetric distribution of  Ran-specific regulators, leads to a higher RanGTP concentration inside the nucleus. This...