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Updated: Jun 10, 2026
05:47
A Direct Force Probe for Measuring Mechanical Integration Between the Nucleus and the Cytoskeleton
Published on: July 29, 2018
Exceptional structural and mechanical flexibility of the nuclear pore complex.
Ivan Liashkovich1, Anne Meyring, Armin Kramer
1Institute of Physiology II, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.
Journal of Cellular Physiology
|August 19, 2010
Summary
Nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) are highly flexible, not rigid structures. Atomic force microscopy revealed NPCs can dynamically change size and recover shape, crucial for their transport functions.
Area of Science:
- Cell biology
- Biophysics
- Molecular machinery
Background:
- Nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) are vital for nucleocytoplasmic transport.
- NPC structure and mechanical flexibility remain poorly understood.
- Physiological forces and transport demands suggest NPCs require flexibility.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the structural and mechanical flexibility of single NPCs.
- To test the hypothesis that NPCs possess remarkable stability and flexibility.
Main Methods:
- Atomic force microscopy (AFM) for nano-imaging and probing.
- AFM-based nano-indentation measurements.
- Utilized trans-cyclohexane-1,2-diol (TCHD) to probe NPC channel dynamics.
Main Results:
- AFM revealed NPCs as highly flexible structures.
- NPC channels dilated by 35% upon TCHD exposure and returned to original size.
- NPC baskets compressed into the channel under load and recovered position.
Conclusions:
- NPCs exhibit exceptional structural and mechanical flexibility.
- This flexibility is crucial for NPC function in molecular transport.
- Findings challenge the notion of NPCs as rigid structures.
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