scholarly journals Size-dependent leak of soluble and membrane proteins through the yeast nuclear pore complex

2015 ◽  
Vol 26 (7) ◽  
pp. 1386-1394 ◽  
Author(s):  
Petra Popken ◽  
Ali Ghavami ◽  
Patrick R. Onck ◽  
Bert Poolman ◽  
Liesbeth M. Veenhoff
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Dynamics ◽  
Membrane Proteins ◽  
Coarse Grained ◽  
Nuclear Pore ◽  
Permeability Barrier ◽  
Nuclear Pore Complexes ◽  
Structural And Functional Properties ◽  
Dynamics Simulations ◽  
Pore Complexes

Nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) allow selective import and export while forming a barrier for untargeted proteins. Using fluorescence microscopy, we measured in vivo the permeability of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae NPC for multidomain proteins of different sizes and found that soluble proteins of 150 kDa and membrane proteins with an extralumenal domain of 90 kDa were still partly localized in the nucleus on a time scale of hours. The NPCs thus form only a weak barrier for the majority of yeast proteins, given their monomeric size. Using FGΔ-mutant strains, we showed that specific combinations of Nups, especially with Nup100, but not the total mass of FG-nups per pore, were important for forming the barrier. Models of the disordered phase of wild-type and mutant NPCs were generated using a one bead per amino acid molecular dynamics model. The permeability measurements correlated with the density predictions from coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations in the center of the NPC. The combined in vivo and computational approach provides a framework for elucidating the structural and functional properties of the permeability barrier of nuclear pore complexes.

scholarly journals Simple rules for passive diffusion through the nuclear pore complex

2016 ◽  
Vol 215 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-76 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin L. Timney ◽  
Barak Raveh ◽  
Roxana Mironska ◽  
Jill M. Trivedi ◽  
Seung Joong Kim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Brownian Dynamics ◽  
Passive Diffusion ◽  
Nuclear Pore ◽  
Nuclear Pore Complexes ◽  
Entropic Repulsion ◽  
Time Resolved ◽  
Dynamics Simulations ◽  
Pore Complexes ◽  
Size Threshold

Passive macromolecular diffusion through nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) is thought to decrease dramatically beyond a 30–60-kD size threshold. Using thousands of independent time-resolved fluorescence microscopy measurements in vivo, we show that the NPC lacks such a firm size threshold; instead, it forms a soft barrier to passive diffusion that intensifies gradually with increasing molecular mass in both the wild-type and mutant strains with various subsets of phenylalanine-glycine (FG) domains and different levels of baseline passive permeability. Brownian dynamics simulations replicate these findings and indicate that the soft barrier results from the highly dynamic FG repeat domains and the diffusing macromolecules mutually constraining and competing for available volume in the interior of the NPC, setting up entropic repulsion forces. We found that FG domains with exceptionally high net charge and low hydropathy near the cytoplasmic end of the central channel contribute more strongly to obstruction of passive diffusion than to facilitated transport, revealing a compartmentalized functional arrangement within the NPC.

scholarly journals A designer FG-Nup that reconstitutes the selective transport barrier of the nuclear pore complex

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessio Fragasso ◽  
Hendrik W. de Vries ◽  
John Andersson ◽  
Eli O. van der Sluis ◽  
Erik van der Giessen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Coarse Grained ◽  
Nuclear Pore ◽  
Nuclear Pore Complexes ◽  
Transport Barrier ◽  
Selective Transport ◽  
Intrinsically Disordered ◽  
Bidirectional Transport ◽  
Dynamics Simulations ◽  
Pore Complexes ◽  
Transport Receptor

AbstractNuclear Pore Complexes (NPCs) regulate bidirectional transport between the nucleus and the cytoplasm. Intrinsically disordered FG-Nups line the NPC lumen and form a selective barrier, where transport of most proteins is inhibited whereas specific transporter proteins freely pass. The mechanism underlying selective transport through the NPC is still debated. Here, we reconstitute the selective behaviour of the NPC bottom-up by introducing a rationally designed artificial FG-Nup that mimics natural Nups. Using QCM-D, we measure selective binding of the artificial FG-Nup brushes to the transport receptor Kap95 over cytosolic proteins such as BSA. Solid-state nanopores with the artificial FG-Nups lining their inner walls support fast translocation of Kap95 while blocking BSA, thus demonstrating selectivity. Coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations highlight the formation of a selective meshwork with densities comparable to native NPCs. Our findings show that simple design rules can recapitulate the selective behaviour of native FG-Nups and demonstrate that no specific spacer sequence nor a spatial segregation of different FG-motif types are needed to create selective NPCs.

scholarly journals The Effect of FG-Nup Phosphorylation on NPC Selectivity: A One-Bead-Per-Amino-Acid Molecular Dynamics Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 596 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ankur Mishra ◽  
Wouter Sipma ◽  
Liesbeth Veenhoff ◽  
Erik Van der Giessen ◽  
Patrick Onck
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Dynamics ◽  
Amino Acid ◽  
Intrinsically Disordered Proteins ◽  
Protein Complexes ◽  
Disordered Proteins ◽  
Nuclear Pore ◽  
Nuclear Pore Complexes ◽  
Intrinsically Disordered ◽  
Dynamics Simulations ◽  
Pore Complexes

Nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) are large protein complexes embedded in the nuclear envelope separating the cytoplasm from the nucleoplasm in eukaryotic cells. They function as selective gates for the transport of molecules in and out of the nucleus. The inner wall of the NPC is coated with intrinsically disordered proteins rich in phenylalanine-glycine repeats (FG-repeats), which are responsible for the intriguing selectivity of NPCs. The phosphorylation state of the FG-Nups is controlled by kinases and phosphatases. In the current study, we extended our one-bead-per-amino-acid (1BPA) model for intrinsically disordered proteins to account for phosphorylation. With this, we performed molecular dynamics simulations to probe the effect of phosphorylation on the Stokes radius of isolated FG-Nups, and on the structure and transport properties of the NPC. Our results indicate that phosphorylation causes a reduced attraction between the residues, leading to an extension of the FG-Nups and the formation of a significantly less dense FG-network inside the NPC. Furthermore, our simulations show that upon phosphorylation, the transport rate of inert molecules increases, while that of nuclear transport receptors decreases, which can be rationalized in terms of modified hydrophobic, electrostatic, and steric interactions. Altogether, our models provide a molecular framework to explain how extensive phosphorylation of FG-Nups decreases the selectivity of the NPC.

scholarly journals A designer FG-Nup that reconstitutes the selective transport barrier of the Nuclear Pore Complex

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessio Fragasso ◽  
Hendrik W. de Vries ◽  
Eli O. van der Sluis ◽  
Erik van der Giessen ◽  
Patrick R. Onck ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Coarse Grained ◽  
Nuclear Pore ◽  
Nuclear Pore Complexes ◽  
Transport Barrier ◽  
Selective Transport ◽  
Intrinsically Disordered ◽  
Bidirectional Transport ◽  
Dynamics Simulations ◽  
Pore Complexes ◽  
Transport Receptor

AbstractNuclear Pore Complexes (NPCs) regulate bidirectional transport between the nucleus and the cytoplasm. Intrinsically disordered FG-Nups line the NPC lumen and form a selective barrier, where transport of most proteins is inhibited whereas specific transporter proteins freely pass. The mechanism underlying selective transport through the NPC is still debated. Here, we reconstitute the selective behaviour of the NPC bottom-up by introducing a rationally designed artificial FG-Nup that mimics natural Nups. Using QCM-D, we measure a strong affinity of the artificial FG-Nup brushes to the transport receptor Kap95, whereas no binding occurs to cytosolic proteins such as BSA. Solid-state nanopores with the artificial FG-Nups lining their inner walls support fast translocation of Kap95 while blocking BSA, thus demonstrating selectivity. Coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations highlight the formation of a selective meshwork with densities comparable to native NPCs. Our findings show that simple design rules can recapitulate the selective behaviour of native FG-Nups and demonstrate that no specific spacer sequence nor a spatial segregation of different FG-motif types are needed to create functional NPCs.

scholarly journals O-GlcNAc modification of nuclear pore complexes accelerates bi-directional transport

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tae Yeon Yoo ◽  
Timothy J Mitchison
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Import ◽  
Nuclear Transport ◽  
Super Resolution ◽  
Nucleocytoplasmic Transport ◽  
Nuclear Pore ◽  
Permeability Barrier ◽  
Nuclear Pore Complexes ◽  
Facilitated Diffusion ◽  
Import And Export ◽  
Pore Complexes

AbstractMacromolecular transport across the nuclear envelope depends on facilitated diffusion through nuclear pore complexes (NPCs). The interior of NPCs contains a permeability barrier made of phenylalanine-glycine (FG) repeat domains that selectively facilitates the permeation of cargoes bound to nuclear transport receptors (NTRs). FG repeats in NPC are a major site of O-linked N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) modification, but the functional role of this modification in nucleocytoplasmic transport is unclear. We developed high-throughput assays based on optogenetic probes to quantify the kinetics of nuclear import and export in living human cells. We found that increasing O-GlcNAc modification of the NPC accelerated NTR-facilitated nucleocytoplasmic transport of proteins in both directions, and decreasing modification slowed transport. Super-resolution imaging revealed strong enrichment of O-GlcNAc at the FG-repeat barrier. O-GlcNAc modification also accelerated passive permeation of a small, inert protein through NPCs. We conclude that O-GlcNAc modification accelerates nucleocytoplasmic transport by enhancing the non-specific permeability the FG-repeat barrier, perhaps by steric inhibition of interactions between FG repeats.SummaryNuclear pore complexes mediate nuclear transport and are highly modified with O-linked N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) on FG repeat domains. Using a new quantitative live-cell imaging assay, Yoo and Mitchison demonstrate acceleration of nuclear import and export by O-GlcNAc modification.

scholarly journals Functional evolution of nuclear structure

2011 ◽  
Vol 195 (2) ◽  
pp. 171-181 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine L. Wilson ◽  
Scott C. Dawson
Keyword(s):  
Membrane Proteins ◽  
Nuclear Structure ◽  
Common Ancestor ◽  
Nuclear Pore ◽  
Nuclear Pore Complexes ◽  
Chromatin Binding ◽  
Endomembrane System ◽  
Tightly Coupled ◽  
Pore Complexes ◽  
Eukaryotic Supergroup

The evolution of the nucleus, the defining feature of eukaryotic cells, was long shrouded in speculation and mystery. There is now strong evidence that nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) and nuclear membranes coevolved with the endomembrane system, and that the last eukaryotic common ancestor (LECA) had fully functional NPCs. Recent studies have identified many components of the nuclear envelope in living Opisthokonts, the eukaryotic supergroup that includes fungi and metazoan animals. These components include diverse chromatin-binding membrane proteins, and membrane proteins with adhesive lumenal domains that may have contributed to the evolution of nuclear membrane architecture. Further discoveries about the nucleoskeleton suggest that the evolution of nuclear structure was tightly coupled to genome partitioning during mitosis.

Recombinant Nup153 Incorporates in Vivo into Xenopus Oocyte Nuclear Pore Complexes

2000 ◽  
Vol 129 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 306-312 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nelly Panté ◽  
Franziska Thomas ◽  
Ueli Aebi ◽  
Brian Burke ◽  
Ricardo Bastos
Keyword(s):  
Xenopus Oocyte ◽  
Nuclear Pore ◽  
Nuclear Pore Complexes ◽  
Pore Complexes

scholarly journals Internuclear exchange of an inner nuclear membrane protein (p55) in heterokaryons: in vivo evidence for the interaction of p55 with the nuclear lamina.

1990 ◽  
Vol 111 (6) ◽  
pp. 2225-2234 ◽  
Author(s):  
L Powell ◽  
B Burke
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Membrane ◽  
Lateral Diffusion ◽  
Nuclear Lamina ◽  
Membrane System ◽  
Mouse Cell ◽  
Nuclear Pore ◽  
Nuclear Pore Complexes ◽  
Inner Nuclear Membrane ◽  
Pore Complexes

The movement between nuclei of an integral protein of the inner nuclear membrane has been studied in rat/mouse and rat/hamster heterokaryons. This protein, p55, was found to equilibrate between nuclei over a period of approximately 6 h in the absence of new protein synthesis. When rat/mouse heterokaryons were constructed using an undifferentiated murine embryonal carcinoma (P19), which lacks lamins A and C, no accumulation of p55 in the mouse cell nucleus was observed. However, P19 nuclei could be rendered competent to accumulate p55 by transfecting the parent cells with human lamin A before cell fusion, supporting the notion that p55 may interact with the nuclear lamina. Since p55 does not appear to be able to dissociate from the nuclear membrane, it is concluded that this exchange between nuclei does not occur in the aqueous phase and instead is probably membrane mediated. It is proposed that this protein may be free to move between the inner and outer nuclear membranes via the continuities at the nuclear pore complexes and that transfer between nuclei occurs via lateral diffusion through the peripheral ER, which appears to form a single continuous membrane system in these heterokaryons. One implication of these observations is that accumulation of at least some integral proteins in the inner nuclear membrane may be mediated by interactions with other nuclear components and may not require a single defined targeting sequence.

scholarly journals Refining amino acid hydrophobicity for dynamics simulation of membrane proteins

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronald D Hills, Jr
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Dynamics ◽  
Membrane Proteins ◽  
Force Field ◽  
Molecular Dynamics Simulations ◽  
Dynamics Simulation ◽  
Coarse Grained ◽  
Interfacial Behavior ◽  
Potentials Of Mean Force ◽  
Arginine Residues ◽  
Dynamics Simulations

Coarse-grained simulations enable the study of membrane proteins in the context of their native environment but require reliable parameters. The CgProt force field is assessed by comparing the potentials of mean force for sidechain insertion in a DOPC bilayer to results reported for atomistic molecular dynamics simulations. The reassignment of polar sidechain sites was found to improve the attractive interfacial behavior of tyrosine, phenylalanine and asparagine as well as charged lysine and arginine residues. The solvation energy at membrane depths of 0, 1.3 and 1.7 nm correlate with experimental partition coefficients in aqueous mixtures of cyclohexane, octanol and POPC, respectively, for sidechain analogs and Wimley-White peptides. These data points can be used to further discriminate between alternate force field parameters. Available partitioning data was also used to reparameterize the representation of the polar peptide backbone for non-alanine residues. The newly developed force field, CgProt 2.4, correctly predicts the global energy minimum in the potentials of mean force for insertion of the uncharged membrane-associated peptides LS3 and WALP23. CgProt will find application in molecular dynamics simulations of a variety of membrane protein systems.

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