Requirement of guanosine triphosphate-bound ran for signal-mediated nuclear protein export.

Richards, S A; Carey, K L; Macara, I G · Science · 1997

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

A leucine-rich nuclear export signal (NES) allows rapid export of proteins from cell nuclei. Microinjection studies revealed a role for the guanosine triphosphatase (GTPase) Ran in NES-mediated export. Nuclear injection of a Ran mutant (Thr24 --> Asn) blocked protein export but not import, whereas depletion of the Ran nucleotide exchange factor RCC1 blocked protein import but not export. However, injection of Ran GTPase-activating protein (RanGAP) into RCC1-depleted cell nuclei inhibited export. Coinjection with Ran mutants insensitive to RanGAP prevented this inhibition. Therefore, NES-mediated protein export appears to require a Ran-GTP complex but does not require Ran-dependent GTP hydrolysis.

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