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Kinetic analysis of translocation through nuclear pore complexes
The EMBO Journal
|March 17, 2001
Summary
Nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) facilitate rapid molecular transport, moving nearly 100 MDa/s. High-affinity binding is not required, suggesting a
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Molecular Biology
- Biophysics
Background:
- The mechanism of nuclear pore complex (NPC) facilitated translocation remains poorly understood.
- NPCs regulate molecular traffic between the nucleus and cytoplasm.
Purpose of the Study:
- To kinetically analyze the facilitated translocation process through NPCs.
- To elucidate the factors governing NPC permeability and selectivity.
Main Methods:
- Kinetic analysis using various model substrates.
- Measurement of translocation rates and mass flow capacity.
Main Results:
- NPCs exhibit unexpectedly high translocation capacity (nearly 100 MDa/s, ~10^3 events/s).
- High-affinity interactions between substrates and NPC components are dispensable for translocation.
- NPCs act as a selective barrier for inert molecules versus transport receptors.
Conclusions:
- A 'selective phase model' is proposed to explain NPC function.
- NPCs achieve selective permeability without requiring strong substrate-NPC binding.
- The model reconciles NPC barrier function with selective transport of nuclear import/export cargoes.