title: Identification of two functional nuclear localization signals mediating nuclear import of liver receptor homologue-1.
abstract: Liver receptor homologue-1 (LRH-1) is a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily. We characterized two functional nuclear localization signals (NLSs) in LRH-1. NLS1 (residues 117-168) overlaps the second zinc finger in the DNA binding domain. Mutagenesis showed that the zinc finger structure and two basic clusters on either side of the zinc finger loop are critical for nuclear import of NLS1. NLS2 (residues 169-204) is located in the Ftz-F1 box that contains a bipartite signal. In full-length LRH-1, mutation of either NLS1 or NLS2 had no effect on nuclear localization, but disruption of both NLS1 and NLS2 resulted in the cytoplasmic accumulation of LRH-1. Either NLS1 or NLS2 alone was sufficient to target LRH-1 to the nucleus. Both NLS1 and NLS2 mediate nuclear transport by a mechanism involving importin α/β. Finally, we showed that three crucial basic clusters in the NLSs are involved in the DNA binding and transcriptional activities of LRH-1.
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Physiology, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, No. 1, Jen-Ai Road, 1st Section, Taipei, 100, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Feng-Ming
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Yu-Chi
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Meng-Chun
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Hu
mesh_terms: D021581:Active Transport, Cell Nucleus; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D019556:COS Cells; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism*; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D019913:Nuclear Localization Signals / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011487:Protein Conformation; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D028901:alpha Karyopherins / Q000378:metabolism; D028961:beta Karyopherins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C431936:Nr5a2 protein, mouse; D019913:Nuclear Localization Signals; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D028901:alpha Karyopherins; D028961:beta Karyopherins