title: Karyopherins and nuclear import.
abstract: Proteins of the karyopherin alpha and karyopherin beta families play a central role in nucleocytoplasmic transport. Recently, crystal structures of karyopherin alpha and its complexes with nuclear localization signal peptides, a karyopherin beta2-Ran complex and complexes of full-length and fragments of karyopherin beta1 with import substrates, Ran and nucleoporins have been solved. These karyopherin structures provide valuable insights into understanding the molecular mechanism of nuclear import, especially substrate recognition, substrate release by GTPase and interactions with the nuclear pore complex.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Cell Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10021, USA. rosenchook@earthlink.net
authors.forename: Y M
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Chook
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Blobel
mesh_terms: D021581:Active Transport, Cell Nucleus / Q000502:physiology*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D028884:Karyopherins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D019913:Nuclear Localization Signals; D022022:Nuclear Pore / Q000502:physiology; D028861:Nuclear Pore Complex Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D011485:Protein Binding; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D028901:alpha Karyopherins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology; D028961:beta Karyopherins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: C424166:KPNB1 protein, human; D028884:Karyopherins; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D019913:Nuclear Localization Signals; D028861:Nuclear Pore Complex Proteins; D028901:alpha Karyopherins; D028961:beta Karyopherins