title: Structure and gating of the nuclear pore complex.
abstract: Nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) perforate the nuclear envelope and allow the exchange of macromolecules between the nucleus and the cytoplasm. To acquire a deeper understanding of this transport mechanism, we analyse the structure of the NPC scaffold and permeability barrier, by reconstructing the Xenopus laevis oocyte NPC from native nuclear envelopes up to 20 Å resolution by cryo-electron tomography in conjunction with subtomogram averaging. In addition to resolving individual protein domains of the NPC constituents, we propose a model for the architecture of the molecular gate at its central channel. Furthermore, we compare and contrast this native NPC structure to one that exhibits reduced transport activity and unveil the spatial properties of the NPC gate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zurich 8057, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eibauer
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zurich 8057, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pellanda
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zurich 8057, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Yagmur
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Turgay
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zurich 8057, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dubrovsky
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zurich 8057, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Annik
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wild
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zurich 8057, Switzerland [2] Department of Life Sciences and the National Institute for Biotechnology in the Negev, Ben-Gurion University, Beer-Sheva 84105, Israel.
authors.forename: Ohad
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Medalia
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D020285:Cryoelectron Microscopy; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D015640:Ion Channel Gating / Q000502:physiology*; D008958:Models, Molecular; D046912:Multiprotein Complexes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure; D022022:Nuclear Pore / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D009865:Oocytes / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D011487:Protein Conformation; D014982:Xenopus laevis
chemical_list: D046912:Multiprotein Complexes