Characterization of the membrane-coating Nup84 complex

Abstract

Nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) func- tion as selective gates for nucleocy- toplasmic transport. Although the NPC was discovered more than half a century ago, our knowledge of NPC compo- nents in atomic detail has exploded only over the past few years. Recent struc- tural, biochemical, and in vivo studies of NPC components, in particular the membrane-coating heptameric Nup84 complex, have shed light onto the NPC architecture as well as onto its dynamic nature. Striking similarities were revealed between the components of the NPC and of coat protein complexes in the endocytic and secretory pathways, supporting their common evolutionary origin in a progenitor protocoatomer. Here, we summarize these findings and discuss emerging concepts that under- lie the molecular architecture and the dynamics of the NPC. We conclude that the uncovered principles are not limited to the NPC, but are likely to extend to other macromolecular assemblies.