Small GTPase Ran and Ran-binding proteins

2012 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 307-318 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masahiro Nagai ◽  
Yoshihiro Yoneda
Keyword(s):  
Cell Fate ◽  
Cancer Biology ◽  
Binding Proteins ◽  
Nucleocytoplasmic Transport ◽  
Small Gtpases ◽  
Small Gtpase ◽  
Nuclear Pore ◽  
Cellular Functions ◽  
Functional Link ◽  
Broad Array

AbstractLike many other small GTPases, Ran functions in eukaryotic cells as a molecular switch that cycles between GTP- and GDP-bound forms. Through the proper modulation of the GTP/GDP cycle, Ran functions with a number of Ran-binding proteins to control a broad array of fundamental cellular functions, including nucleocytoplasmic transport, mitotic spindle assembly, and nuclear envelope and nuclear pore complex formation. Recent studies have revealed that ‘Ran and Ran binding proteins’ are involved in a variety of functions involving cell fate determination, including cell death, cell proliferation, cell differentiation, and malignant transformation. In this review, we discuss recent progress on the functional link between the Ran system and tumorigenesis, which give clues to the molecular understanding of cancer biology.

The Small GTPase Superfamily in Plants: A Conserved Regulatory Module with Novel Functions

2020 ◽  
Vol 71 (1) ◽  
pp. 247-272
Author(s):  
Erik Nielsen
Keyword(s):  
Membrane Trafficking ◽  
Binding Proteins ◽  
Model Organism ◽  
Nucleocytoplasmic Transport ◽  
Small Gtpase ◽  
Gtp Binding Proteins ◽  
Cellular Processes ◽  
Gtp Binding ◽  
Regulatory Module ◽  
Transport Vesicle

Small GTP-binding proteins represent a highly conserved signaling module in eukaryotes that regulates diverse cellular processes such as signal transduction, cytoskeletal organization and cell polarity, cell proliferation and differentiation, intracellular membrane trafficking and transport vesicle formation, and nucleocytoplasmic transport. These proteins function as molecular switches that cycle between active and inactive states, and this cycle is linked to GTP binding and hydrolysis. In this review, the roles of the plant complement of small GTP-binding proteins in these cellular processes are described, as well as accessory proteins that control their activity, and current understanding of the functions of individual members of these families in plants—with a focus on the model organism Arabidopsis—is presented. Some potential novel roles of these GTPases in plants, relative to their established roles in yeast and/or animal systems, are also discussed.

scholarly journals Transport into and out of the Nucleus

2001 ◽  
Vol 65 (4) ◽  
pp. 570-594 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian G. Macara
Keyword(s):  
Rna Processing ◽  
Nucleocytoplasmic Transport ◽  
Small Gtpase ◽  
Nuclear Pore ◽  
Nuclear Pore Complexes ◽  
Facilitated Diffusion ◽  
Transport Mechanisms ◽  
Pore Complexes ◽  
Transport Of Macromolecules ◽  
Gtpase Ran

SUMMARY A defining characteristic of eukaryotic cells is the possession of a nuclear envelope. Transport of macromolecules between the nuclear and cytoplasmic compartments occurs through nuclear pore complexes that span the double membrane of this envelope. The molecular basis for transport has been revealed only within the last few years. The transport mechanism lacks motors and pumps and instead operates by a process of facilitated diffusion of soluble carrier proteins, in which vectoriality is provided by compartment-specific assembly and disassembly of cargo-carrier complexes. The carriers recognize localization signals on the cargo and can bind to pore proteins. They also bind a small GTPase, Ran, whose GTP-bound form is predominantly nuclear. Ran-GTP dissociates import carriers from their cargo and promotes the assembly of export carriers with cargo. The ongoing discovery of numerous carriers, Ran-independent transport mechanisms, and cofactors highlights the complexity of the nuclear transport process. Multiple regulatory mechanisms are also being identified that control cargo-carrier interactions. Circadian rhythms, cell cycle, transcription, RNA processing, and signal transduction are all regulated at the level of nucleocytoplasmic transport. This review focuses on recent discoveries in the field, with an emphasis on the carriers and cofactors involved in transport and on possible mechanisms for movement through the nuclear pores.

scholarly journals Interactions between Mad1p and the Nuclear Transport Machinery in the YeastSaccharomyces cerevisiae

2005 ◽  
Vol 16 (9) ◽  
pp. 4362-4374 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert J. Scott ◽  
C. Patrick Lusk ◽  
David J. Dilworth ◽  
John D. Aitchison ◽  
Richard W. Wozniak
Keyword(s):  
Spindle Assembly Checkpoint ◽  
Nuclear Transport ◽  
Coiled Coil ◽  
Nucleocytoplasmic Transport ◽  
Nuclear Pore ◽  
Docking Site ◽  
Cellular Functions ◽  
Yeast Saccharomyces Cerevisiae ◽  
C Terminus ◽  
Localization Signal

In addition to its role in nucleocytoplasmic transport, the nuclear pore complex (NPC) acts as a docking site for proteins whose apparent primary cellular functions are unrelated to nuclear transport, including Mad1p and Mad2p, two proteins of the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) machinery. To understand this relationship, we have mapped domains of yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae Mad1p that interact with the nuclear transport machinery, including further defining its interactions with the NPC. We showed that a Kap95p/Kap60p-dependent nuclear localization signal, positioned in the C-terminal third of Mad1p, is required for its efficient targeting to the NPC. At the NPC, Mad1p interacts with Nup53p and a presumed Nup60p/Mlp1p/Mlp2p complex through two coiled coil regions within its N terminus. When the SAC is activated, a portion of Mad1p is recruited to kinetochores through an interaction that is mediated by the C-terminal region of Mad1p and requires energy. We showed using photobleaching analysis that in nocodazole-arrested cells Mad1p rapidly cycles between the Mlp proteins and kinetochores. Our further analysis also showed that only the C terminus of Mad1p is required for SAC function and that the NPC, through Nup53p, may act to regulate the duration of the SAC response.

scholarly journals Pharmacological Modulators of Small GTPases of Rho Family in Neurodegenerative Diseases

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
William Guiler ◽  
Addison Koehler ◽  
Christi Boykin ◽  
Qun Lu
Keyword(s):  
Neurodegenerative Diseases ◽  
Therapeutic Intervention ◽  
Rho Gtpases ◽  
Rho Gtpase ◽  
Therapeutic Potential ◽  
Disease Model ◽  
Small Gtpases ◽  
Small Gtpase ◽  
Cellular Functions ◽  
Pharmacological Modulators

Classical Rho GTPases, including RhoA, Rac1, and Cdc42, are members of the Ras small GTPase superfamily and play essential roles in a variety of cellular functions. Rho GTPase signaling can be turned on and off by specific GEFs and GAPs, respectively. These features empower Rho GTPases and their upstream and downstream modulators as targets for scientific research and therapeutic intervention. Specifically, significant therapeutic potential exists for targeting Rho GTPases in neurodegenerative diseases due to their widespread cellular activity and alterations in neural tissues. This study will explore the roles of Rho GTPases in neurodegenerative diseases with focus on the applications of pharmacological modulators in recent discoveries. There have been exciting developments of small molecules, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and natural products and toxins for each classical Rho GTPase category. A brief overview of each category followed by examples in their applications will be provided. The literature on their roles in various diseases [e.g., Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Frontotemporal dementia (FTD), and Multiple sclerosis (MS)] highlights the unique and broad implications targeting Rho GTPases for potential therapeutic intervention. Clearly, there is increasing knowledge of therapeutic promise from the discovery of pharmacological modulators of Rho GTPases for managing and treating these conditions. The progress is also accompanied by the recognition of complex Rho GTPase modulation where targeting its signaling can improve some aspects of pathogenesis while exacerbating others in the same disease model. Future directions should emphasize the importance of elucidating how different Rho GTPases work in concert and how they produce such widespread yet different cellular responses during neurodegenerative disease progression.

scholarly journals Subcellular localization of the mouse PRAMEL1 and PRAMEX1 reveals multifaceted roles in the nucleus and cytoplasm of germ cells during spermatogenesis

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wan-Sheng Liu ◽  
Chen Lu ◽  
Bhavesh V. Mistry
Keyword(s):  
Germ Cell ◽  
Gene Family ◽  
Cancer Biology ◽  
Protein Complexes ◽  
Gene Knockout ◽  
Nucleocytoplasmic Transport ◽  
Immunogold Electron Microscopy ◽  
Nuclear Pore ◽  
Germline Development ◽  
Germ Granules

Abstract Background Preferentially expressed antigen in melanoma (PRAME) is a cancer/testis antigen (CTA) that is predominantly expressed in normal gametogenic tissues and a variety of tumors. Members of the PRAME gene family encode leucine-rich repeat (LRR) proteins that provide a versatile structural framework for the formation of protein–protein interactions. As a nuclear receptor transcriptional regulator, PRAME has been extensively studied in cancer biology and is believed to play a role in cancer cell proliferation by suppressing retinoic acid (RA) signaling. The role of the PRAME gene family in germline development and spermatogenesis has been recently confirmed by a gene knockout approach. To further understand how PRAME proteins are involved in germ cell development at a subcellular level, we have conducted a systematic immunogold electron microscopy (IEM) analysis on testis sections of adult mice with gene-specific antibodies from two members of the mouse Prame gene family: Pramel1 and Pramex1. Pramel1 is autosomal, while Pramex1 is X-linked, both genes are exclusively expressed in the testis. Results Our IEM data revealed that both PRAMEL1 and PRAMEX1 proteins were localized in various cell organelles in different development stages of spermatogenic cells, including the nucleus, rER, Golgi, mitochondria, germ granules [intermitochondrial cement (IMC) and chromatoid body (CB)], centrioles, manchette, and flagellum. Unlike other germ cell-specific makers, such as DDX4, whose proteins are evenly distributed in the expressed-organelle(s), both PRAMEL1 and PRAMEX1 proteins tend to aggregate together to form clusters of protein complexes. These complexes were highly enriched in the nucleus and cytoplasm (especially in germ granules) of spermatocytes and spermatids. Furthermore, dynamic distribution of the PRAMEL1 protein complexes were observed in the microtubule-based organelles, such as acroplaxome, manchette, and flagellum, as well as in the nuclear envelope and nuclear pore. Dual staining with PRAMEL1 and KIF17B antibodies further revealed that the PRAMEL1 and KIF17B proteins were co-localized in germ granules. Conclusion Our IEM data suggest that the PRAMEL1 and PRAMEX1 proteins are not only involved in transcriptional regulation in the nucleus, but may also participate in nucleocytoplasmic transport, and in the formation and function of germ cell-specific organelles during spermatogenesis.

scholarly journals Altering nuclear pore complex function impacts longevity and mitochondrial function in S. cerevisiae

2015 ◽  
Vol 208 (6) ◽  
pp. 729-744 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher L. Lord ◽  
Benjamin L. Timney ◽  
Michael P. Rout ◽  
Susan R. Wente
Keyword(s):  
Mitochondrial Function ◽  
Complex Function ◽  
Nucleocytoplasmic Transport ◽  
Small Gtpase ◽  
Nuclear Pore ◽  
Permeability Barrier ◽  
Nuclear Pore Complexes ◽  
Dependent Transport ◽  
Pore Complexes ◽  
And Function

The eukaryotic nuclear permeability barrier and selective nucleocytoplasmic transport are maintained by nuclear pore complexes (NPCs), large structures composed of ∼30 proteins (nucleoporins [Nups]). NPC structure and function are disrupted in aged nondividing metazoan cells, although it is unclear whether these changes are a cause or consequence of aging. Using the replicative life span (RLS) of Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model, we find that specific Nups and transport events regulate longevity independent of changes in NPC permeability. Mutants lacking the GLFG domain of Nup116 displayed decreased RLSs, whereas longevity was increased in nup100-null mutants. We show that Nup116 mediates nuclear import of the karyopherin Kap121, and each protein is required for mitochondrial function. Both Kap121-dependent transport and Nup116 levels decrease in replicatively aged yeast. Overexpression of GSP1, the small GTPase that powers karyopherin-mediated transport, rescued mitochondrial and RLS defects in nup116 mutants and increased longevity in wild-type cells. Together, these studies reveal that specific NPC nuclear transport events directly influence aging.

scholarly journals On the asymmetric partitioning of nucleocytoplasmic transport – recent insights and open questions

2021 ◽  
Vol 134 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanna Kalita ◽  
Larisa E. Kapinos ◽  
Roderick Y. H. Lim
Keyword(s):  
Nucleocytoplasmic Transport ◽  
Small Gtpase ◽  
Nuclear Pore ◽  
Permeability Barrier ◽  
Soluble Factors ◽  
Guanosine Diphosphate ◽  
Open Questions ◽  
Cargo Delivery ◽  
Asymmetric Partitioning ◽  
Gtpase Ran

ABSTRACT Macromolecular cargoes are asymmetrically partitioned in the nucleus or cytoplasm by nucleocytoplasmic transport (NCT). At the center of this activity lies the nuclear pore complex (NPC), through which soluble factors circulate to orchestrate NCT. These include cargo-carrying importin and exportin receptors from the β-karyopherin (Kapβ) family and the small GTPase Ran, which switches between guanosine triphosphate (GTP)- and guanosine diphosphate (GDP)-bound forms to regulate cargo delivery and compartmentalization. Ongoing efforts have shed considerable light on how these soluble factors traverse the NPC permeability barrier to sustain NCT. However, this does not explain how importins and exportins are partitioned in the cytoplasm and nucleus, respectively, nor how a steep RanGTP–RanGDP gradient is maintained across the nuclear envelope. In this Review, we peel away the multiple layers of control that regulate NCT and juxtapose unresolved features against known aspects of NPC function. Finally, we discuss how NPCs might function synergistically with Kapβs, cargoes and Ran to establish the asymmetry of NCT.

scholarly journals Perturbations in Traffic: Aberrant Nucleocytoplasmic Transport at the Heart of Neurodegeneration

Cells ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (12) ◽  
pp. 232 ◽  
Author(s):  
Birthe Fahrenkrog ◽  
Amnon Harel
Keyword(s):  
Neurodegenerative Diseases ◽  
Binding Proteins ◽  
Rna Binding ◽  
Rna Binding Proteins ◽  
Nucleocytoplasmic Transport ◽  
Nuclear Accumulation ◽  
Nuclear Pore ◽  
Nuclear Pore Complexes ◽  
Loss Of Function ◽  
Fused In Sarcoma

Neurodegenerative diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), frontotemporal dementia (FTD), and Huntington’s disease (HD), are characterized by intracellular aggregation of proteins. In the case of ALS and FTD, these protein aggregates are found in the cytoplasm of affected neurons and contain certain RNA-binding proteins (RBPs), namely the TAR DNA-binding protein of 43 kDa (TDP-43) and the fused in sarcoma (FUS) gene product. TDP-43 and FUS are nuclear proteins and their displacement to the cytoplasm is thought to be adverse in at least two ways: loss-of-function in the nucleus and gain-of-toxicity in the cytoplasm. In the case of HD, expansion of a polyglutamine (polyQ) stretch within the N-terminal domain of the Huntingtin (HTT) protein leads to nuclear accumulation of polyQ HTT (or mHTT) and a toxic gain-of-function phenotype resulting in neurodegeneration. Numerous studies in recent years have provided evidence that defects in nucleocytoplasmic transport critically contribute to the pathology of these neurodegenerative diseases. A new mechanistic view is emerging, implicating three types of perturbations in normal cellular pathways that rely on nucleocytoplasmic transport: displacement of nuclear transport receptors and nucleoporins from nuclear pore complexes (NPCs), mislocalization and aggregation of RNA-binding proteins, and weakening of the chaperone activity of nuclear import receptors.

scholarly journals The small GTPase ARF6 regulates GABAergic synapse development

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hyeonho Kim ◽  
Hyeji Jung ◽  
Hyunsu Jung ◽  
Seok-Kyu Kwon ◽  
Jaewon Ko ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Membrane Trafficking ◽  
Hippocampal Neurons ◽  
Small Gtpases ◽  
Small Gtpase ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Cellular Functions ◽  
Gabaergic Synapse ◽  
Gabaergic Synapses ◽  
Hippocampal Network ◽  
Activity Dependent

AbstractADP ribosylation factors (ARFs) are a family of small GTPases composed of six members (ARF1–6) that control various cellular functions, including membrane trafficking and actin cytoskeletal rearrangement, in eukaryotic cells. Among them, ARF1 and ARF6 are the most studied in neurons, particularly at glutamatergic synapses, but their roles at GABAergic synapses have not been investigated. Here, we show that a subset of ARF6 protein is localized at GABAergic synapses in cultured hippocampal neurons. In addition, we found that knockdown (KD) of ARF6, but not ARF1, triggered a reduction in the number of GABAergic synaptic puncta in mature cultured neurons in an ARF activity-dependent manner. ARF6 KD also reduced GABAergic synaptic density in the mouse hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG) region. Furthermore, ARF6 KD in the DG increased seizure susceptibility in an induced epilepsy model. Viewed together, our results suggest that modulating ARF6 and its regulators could be a therapeutic strategy against brain pathologies involving hippocampal network dysfunction, such as epilepsy.

scholarly journals Flexible Gates: Dynamic Topologies and Functions for FG Nucleoporins in Nucleocytoplasmic Transport

2009 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 1814-1827 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura J. Terry ◽  
Susan R. Wente
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Envelope ◽  
Regulation Of Gene Expression ◽  
Nucleocytoplasmic Transport ◽  
Structural Features ◽  
Nuclear Pore ◽  
Permeability Barrier ◽  
Nuclear Pore Complexes ◽  
Cellular Functions ◽  
Essential Components ◽  
Pore Complexes

ABSTRACT The nuclear envelope is a physical barrier between the nucleus and cytoplasm and, as such, separates the mechanisms of transcription from translation. This compartmentalization of eukaryotic cells allows spatial regulation of gene expression; however, it also necessitates a mechanism for transport between the nucleus and cytoplasm. Macromolecular trafficking of protein and RNA occurs exclusively through nuclear pore complexes (NPCs), specialized channels spanning the nuclear envelope. A novel family of NPC proteins, the FG-nucleoporins (FG-Nups), coordinates and potentially regulates NPC translocation. The extensive repeats of phenylalanine-glycine (FG) in each FG-Nup directly bind to shuttling transport receptors moving through the NPC. In addition, FG-Nups are essential components of the nuclear permeability barrier. In this review, we discuss the structural features, cellular functions, and evolutionary conservation of the FG-Nups.

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