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

RAE1 is a shuttling mRNA export factor that binds to a GLEBS-like NUP98 motif at the nuclear pore complex through multiple domains

Gle2p is implicated in nuclear export of poly(A)+ RNA and nuclear pore complex (NPC) structure and distribution in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Gle2p is anchored at the nuclear envelope (NE) via a short Gle2p-binding motif within Nup116p called GLEBS. The molecular mechanism by which Gle2p and the Gle2p-Nup116p interaction function in mRNA export is unknown. Here we show that RAE1, the mammalian homologue of Gle2p, binds to a GLEBS-like NUP98 motif at the NPC through multiple domains that include WD-repeats and a COOH-terminal non-WD-repeat extension. This interaction is direct, as evidenced by in vitro binding studies and chemical cross-linking. Microinjection experiments performed in Xenopus laevis oocytes demonstrate that RAE1 shuttles between the nucleus and the cytoplasm and is exported from the nucleus in a temperature-dependent and RanGTP-independent manner. Docking of RAE1 to the NE is highly dependent on new mRNA synthesis. Overexpression of the GLEBS-like motif also inhibits NE binding of RAE1 and induces nuclear accumulation of poly(A)+ RNA. Both effects are abrogated either by the introduction of point mutations in the GLEBS-like motif or by overexpression of RAE1, indicating a direct role for RAE1 and the NUP98-RAE1 interaction in mRNA export. Together, our data suggest that RAE1 is a shuttling transport factor that directly contributes to nuclear export of mRNAs through its ability to anchor to a specific NUP98 motif at the NPC.

In or out? Regulating nuclear transport

The compartmentalization of proteins within the nucleus or cytoplasm of a eukaryotic cell offers opportunity for regulation of cell cycle progression and signalling pathways. Nuclear localization of proteins is determined by their ability to interact with specific nuclear import and export factors. In the past year, substrate phosphorylation has emerged as a common mechanism for controlling this interaction.

Nup153 is an M9-containing mobile nucleoporin with a novel Ran-binding domain

We employed a phage display system to search for proteins that interact with transportin 1 (TRN1), the import receptor for shuttling hnRNP proteins with an M9 nuclear localization sequence (NLS), and identified a short region within the N-terminus of the nucleoporin Nup153 which binds TRN1. Nup153 is located at the nucleoplasmic face of the nuclear pore complex (NPC), in the distal basket structure, and functions in mRNA export. We show that this Nup153 TRN1-interacting region is an M9 NLS. We found that both import and export receptors interact with several regions of Nup153, in a RanGTP-regulated fashion. RanGTP dissociates Nup153-import receptor complexes, but is required for Nup153-export receptor interactions. We also show that Nup153 is a RanGDP-binding protein, and that the interaction is mediated by the zinc finger region of Nup153. This represents a novel Ran-binding domain, which we term the zinc finger Ran-binding motif. We provide evidence that Nup153 shuttles between the nuclear and cytoplasmic faces of the NPC. The presence of an M9 shuttling domain in Nup153, together with its ability to move within the NPC and to interact with export receptors, suggests that this nucleoporin is a mobile component of the pore which carries export cargos towards the cytoplasm.

Characterization of IkappaBalpha nuclear import pathway

IkappaBalpha controls the transcriptional activity of nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB by retaining it in the cytoplasm; but, when expressed in the nucleus, it can also inhibit the interaction of NF-kappaB with DNA and promote the export of NF-kappaB from the nucleus to the cytoplasm. Here, we report that IkappaBalpha, when not bound to NF-kappaB, is constitutively transported to the nucleus, and we confirm that the interaction of IkappaBalpha with NF-kappaB retains IkappaBalpha in the cytoplasm. Nuclear import of IkappaBalpha does not result from passive diffusion but from a specific energy-dependent transport process that requires the ankyrin repeats of IkappaBalpha. Nuclear accumulation of IkappaBalpha is dependent on importins alpha and beta as well as the small GTPase Ran, which are also responsible for the nuclear import mediated by basic nuclear localization sequences (NLS). However, these proteins are not sufficient to promote IkappaBalpha nuclear translocation. Factor(s) can be removed selectively from cell extracts with ankyrin repeats of IkappaBalpha which strongly reduce import of IkappaBalpha but not of proteins containing basic NLS. These findings indicate that IkappaBalpha is imported in the nucleus by a piggy-back mechanism that involves additional protein(s) containing a basic NLS and able to interact with ankyrin repeats of IkappaBalpha.

A monoclonal antibody to the COOH-terminal acidic portion of Ran inhibits both the recycling of Ran and nuclear protein import in living cells

A small GTPase Ran is a key regulator for active nuclear transport. In immunoblotting analysis, a monoclonal antibody against recombinant human Ran, designated ARAN1, was found to recognize an epitope in the COOH-terminal domain of Ran. In a solution binding assay, ARAN1 recognized Ran when complexed with importin beta, transportin, and CAS, but not the Ran-GTP or the Ran-GDP alone, indicating that the COOH-terminal domain of Ran is exposed via its interaction with importin beta-related proteins. In addition, ARAN1 suppressed the binding of RanBP1 to the Ran-importin beta complex. When injected into the nucleus of BHK cells, ARAN1 was rapidly exported to the cytoplasm, indicating that the Ran-importin beta-related protein complex is exported as a complex from the nucleus to the cytoplasm in living cells. Moreover, ARAN1, when injected into the cultured cells induces the accumulation of endogenous Ran in the cytoplasm and prevents the nuclear import of SV-40 T-antigen nuclear localization signal substrates. From these findings, we propose that the binding of RanBP1 to the Ran-importin beta complex is required for the dissociation of the complex in the cytoplasm and that the released Ran is recycled to the nucleus, which is essential for the nuclear protein transport.

beta-subunit of nuclear pore-targeting complex (importin-beta) can be exported from the nucleus in a Ran-independent manner

The nuclear export of importin-alpha is mediated by CAS, which is related to importin-beta, whereas the mechanism for the export of importin-beta remains unclear. In this study, we demonstrate that the nuclear export of importin-beta is mediated by the nuclear pore complex-binding domain of this molecule. Insensitivity to leptomycin B indicates that its export is not mediated by a leucine-rich nuclear export signal-specific receptor, CRM1. Furthermore, the nuclear export of importin-beta was not inhibited by co-injection with a GTPase-deficient Ran mutant (G19V). The cell line tsBN2 contains a temperature-sensitive point mutation in the RCC1 gene, which encodes a guanine nucleotide exchange factor of Ran. At the nonpermissive temperature, importin-beta was exported from the nucleus of these cells, even when RanGAP1, a GTPase-activating protein for Ran, was co-injected. These results not only provide support for the view that Ran-dependent GTP hydrolysis is not required for the nuclear export of importin-beta but also indicate that nuclear RanGTP is not essential for its export. As a result, we propose that importin-beta can be recycled from the nucleus alone in a Ran-independent manner.

Antagonistic effects of NES and NLS motifs determine S. cerevisiae Rna1p subcellular distribution

Nucleus/cytosol exchange requires a GTPase, Ran. In yeast Rna1p is the GTPase activating protein for Ran (RanGAP) and Prp20p is the Ran GDP/GTP exchange factor (GEF). RanGAP is primarily cytosolic and GEF is nuclear. Their subcellular distributions led to the prediction that Ran-GTP hydrolysis takes place solely in the cytosol and GDP/GTP exchange solely in the nucleus. Current models propose that the Ran-GTP/Ran-GDP gradient across the nuclear membrane determines the direction of exchange. We provide three lines of evidence that Rna1p enters and leaves the nuclear interior. (1) Rna1p possesses leucine-rich nuclear export sequences (NES) that are able to relocate a passenger karyophilic protein to the cytosol; alterations of consensus residues re-establish nuclear location. (2) Rna1p possesses other sequences that function as a novel nuclear localization sequence able to deliver a passenger cytosolic protein to the nucleus. (3) Endogenous Rna1p location is dependent upon Xpo1p/Crm1p, the yeast exportin for leucine-rich NES-containing proteins. The data support the hypothesis that Rna1p exists on both sides of the nuclear membrane, perhaps regulating the Ran-GTP/Ran-GDP gradient, participating in a complete RanGTPase nuclear cycle or serving a novel function.

Importin beta can mediate the nuclear import of an arginine-rich nuclear localization signal in the absence of importin alpha

The import of proteins into the nucleus is dependent on cis-acting targeting sequences, nuclear localization signals (NLSs), and members of the nuclear transport receptor (importin-beta-like) superfamily. The most extensively characterized import pathway, often termed the classical pathway, is utilized by many basic-type (lysine-rich) NLSs and requires an additional component, importin alpha, to serve as a bridge between the NLS and the import receptor importin beta. More recently, it has become clear that a variety of proteins enter the nucleus via alternative import receptors and that their NLSs bind directly to those receptors. By using the digitonin-permeabilized cell system for protein import in vitro, we have defined the import pathway for the Rex protein of human T-cell leukemia virus type 1. Interestingly, the arginine-rich NLS of Rex uses importin beta for import but does so by a mechanism that is importin alpha independent. Based on the ability of the Rex NLS to inhibit the import of the lysine-rich NLS of T antigen and of both NLSs to be inhibited by the domain of importin alpha that binds importin beta (the IBB domain), we infer that the Rex NLS interacts with importin beta directly. In addition, and in keeping with other receptor-mediated nuclear import pathways, Rex import is dependent on the integrity of the Ran GTPase cycle. Based on these results, we suggest that importin beta can mediate the nuclear import of arginine-rich NLSs directly, or lysine-rich NLSs through the action of importin alpha.

Receptor-mediated substrate translocation through the nuclear pore complex without nucleotide triphosphate hydrolysis

BACKGROUND

The transport of macromolecules between the nucleus and cytoplasm is an energy-dependent process. Substrates are translocated across the nuclear envelope through nuclear pore complexes (NPCs). Translocation requires nucleocytoplasmic transport receptors of the importin beta family, which interact both with the NPC and, either directly or via an adaptor, with the transport substrate. Although certain receptors have recently been shown to cross the NPC in an energy-independent manner, translocation of substrate-receptor complexes through the NPC has generally been regarded as an energy-requiring step.

RESULTS

We describe an in vitro system that is based on permeabilised cells and supports nuclear export mediated by leucine-rich nuclear export signals. In this system, export is dependent on exogenous CRM1/Exportin1 - a nuclear export receptor - the GTPase Ran and nucleotide triphosphates (NTPs), and is further stimulated by Ran-binding protein 1 (RanBP1) and nuclear transport factor 2 (NTF2). Unexpectedly, non-hydrolysable NTP analogues completely satisfy the NTP requirements for a single-round of CRM1-mediated translocation of protein substrates across the NPC. Similarly, single transportin-mediated nuclear protein import events are shown not to require hydrolysable NTPs and to occur in the absence of the Ran GTPase.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data show that, contrary to expectation and prior conclusions, the translocation of substrate-receptor complexes across the NPC in either direction occurs in the absence of NTP hydrolysis and is thus energy independent. The energy needed to drive substrate transport against a concentration gradient is supplied at the step of receptor recycling in the cytoplasm.

Ran-dependent signal-mediated nuclear import does not require GTP hydrolysis by Ran

Nuclear import of classical nuclear localization sequence-containing proteins involves the assembly of an import complex at the cytoplasmic face of the nuclear pore complex (NPC) followed by movement of this complex through the NPC and release of the import substrate into the nuclear interior. This process has historically been thought to require nucleotide hydrolysis as a source of energy. We found, using hydrolysis-resistant GTP analogs and a mutant Ran unable to hydrolyze GTP, that transport of classical nuclear localization sequence containing substrate through the NPC and release of the substrate into the nucleus did not require hydrolysis of GTP by Ran. In fact, for movement of this type of import substrate into the nuclear interior we did not observe a requirement for hydrolysis of any nucleotide triphosphate. We did, however, find that a pool of free GTP (or its structural equivalent) must be added, probably because the GDP Ran that is added must be converted to GTP Ran during the import process. We found that a requirement for GTP hydrolysis can be restored to an import mixture consisting of recombinant import factors by the addition of RCC1, the Ran guanine nucleotide exchange factor.

Separate nuclear import pathways converge on the nucleoporin Nup153 and can be dissected with dominant-negative inhibitors

BACKGROUND

Proteins generally enter or exit the nucleus as cargo of one of a small family of import and export receptors. These receptors bear distant homology to importin beta, a subunit of the receptor for proteins with classical nuclear localisation sequences (NLSs). To understand the mechanism of nuclear transport, the next question involves identifying the nuclear pore proteins that interact with the different transport receptors as they dock at the pore and translocate through it.

RESULTS

Two pathways of nuclear import were found to intersect at a single nucleoporin, Nup153, localized on the intranuclear side of the nuclear pore. Nup153 contains separate binding sites for importin alpha/beta, which mediates classical NLS import, and for transportin, which mediates import of different nuclear proteins. Strikingly, a Nup153 fragment containing the importin beta binding site acted as a dominant-negative inhibitor of NLS import, with no effect on transportin-mediated import. Conversely, a Nup153 fragment containing the transportin binding site acted as a strong dominant-negative inhibitor of transportin import, with no effect on classical NLS import. The interaction of transportin with Nup153 could be disrupted by a non-hydrolyzable form of GTP or by a GTPase-deficient mutant of Ran, and was not observed if transportin carried cargo. Neither Nup153 fragment affected binding of the export receptor Crm1 at the nuclear rim.

CONCLUSIONS

Two nuclear import pathways, mediated by importin beta and transportin, converge on a single nucleoporin, Nup153. Dominant-negative fragments of Nup153 can now be used to distinguish different nuclear import pathways and, potentially, to dissect nuclear export.

Nuclear import of Ran is mediated by the transport factor NTF2

A concentration gradient of the GTP-bound form of the GTPase Ran across nuclear pores is essential for the transport of many proteins and nucleic acids between the nuclear and cytoplasmic compartments of eukaryotic cells [1] [2] [3] [4]. The mechanisms responsible for the dynamics and maintenance of this Ran gradient have been unclear. We now show that Ran shuttles between the nucleosol and cytosol, and that cytosolic Ran accumulates rapidly in the nucleus in a saturable manner that is dependent on temperature and on the guanine-nucleotide exchange factor RCC1. Nuclear import in digitonin-permeabilized cells in the absence of added factors was minimal. The addition of energy and nuclear transport factor 2 (NTF2) [5] was sufficient for the accumulation of Ran in the nucleus. An NTF2 mutant that cannot bind Ran [6] was unable to facilitate Ran import. A GTP-bound form of a Ran mutant that cannot bind NTF2 was not a substrate for import. A dominant-negative importin-beta mutant inhibited nuclear import of Ran, whereas addition of transportin, which accumulates in the nucleus, enhanced NTF2-dependent Ran import. We conclude that NTF2 functions as a transport receptor for Ran, permitting rapid entry into the nucleus where GTP-GDP exchange mediated by RCC1 [7] converts Ran into its GTP-bound state. The Ran-GTP can associate with nuclear Ran-binding proteins, thereby creating a Ran gradient across nuclear pores.

Crm1p mediates regulated nuclear export of a yeast AP-1-like transcription factor

The yeast AP-1-like transcription factor, Yap1p, activates genes required for the response to oxidative stress. Yap1p is normally cytoplasmic and inactive, but will activate by nuclear translocation if cells are placed in an oxidative environment. Here we show that Yap1p is a target of the beta-karyopherin-like nuclear exporter, Crm1p. Yap1p is constitutively nuclear in a crm1 mutant, and Crm1p binds to a nuclear export sequence (NES)-like sequence in Yap1p in the presence of RanGTP. Recognition of Yap1p by Crm1p is inhibited by oxidation, and this inhibition requires at least one of the three cysteine residues flanking the NES. These results suggest that Yap1p localization is largely regulated at the level of nuclear export, and that the oxidation state affects the accessibility of the Yap1p NES to Crm1p directly. We also show that a mutation in RanGAP (rna1-1) is synthetically lethal with crm1 mutants. Yap1p export is inhibited in both rna1-1 and prp20 (RanGNRF) mutant strains, but Yap1p rapidly accumulates at the nuclear periphery after shifting rna1-1, but not other mutant cells to the non-permissive temperature. Thus, disassembly of export complexes in response to RanGTP hydrolysis may be required for release of substrate from a terminal binding site at the nuclear pore complex (NPC).

Proofreading and aminoacylation of tRNAs before export from the nucleus

After synthesis and processing in the nucleus, mature transfer RNAs (tRNAs) are exported to the cytoplasm in a Ran.guanosine triphosphate-dependent manner. Export of defective or immature tRNAs is avoided by monitoring both structure and function of tRNAs in the nucleus, and only tRNAs with mature 5' and 3' ends are exported. All tRNAs examined can be aminoacylated in nuclei of Xenopus oocytes, thereby providing a possible mechanism for functional proofreading of newly made tRNAs. Inhibition of aminoacylation of a specific tRNA retards its appearance in the cytoplasm, indicating that nuclear aminoacylation promotes efficient export.

The specificity of the CRM1-Rev nuclear export signal interaction is mediated by RanGTP

Nuclear export of intron-containing human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) RNA is mediated by the viral Rev protein that contains both an RNA binding domain specific for the viral Rev response element (RRE) and a nuclear export signal (NES). The cellular CRM1 (Exportin1) protein functions as a nuclear export receptor for proteins carrying a Rev-like NES in a process that also requires the GTP bound form of the Ran GTPase. Using purified recombinant factors, we show by co-precipitation, gel mobility shift and protein footprinting assays that full-length Rev protein interacts directly with CRM1 in vitro independently of both the integrity of the characteristic leucine residues of the NES and the presence of the cytotoxin leptomycin B (LMB). Addition of RanGTP induces the formation of an RRE-Rev-CRM1-RanGTP complex that is sensitive to LMB, NES mutations, and Ran being charged with GTP. Within this complex, CRM1 is readily cross-linked to Cys89 near the NES of Rev. By protein footprinting, we demonstrate that the NES of Rev and two regions in CRM1 become inaccessible to endoproteinases upon binding suggesting that these regions are involved in protein-protein interactions. Our data are consistent with a model in which CRM1 is the nuclear export receptor for the Rev-RRE ribonucleoprotein complex and that RanGTP binds to a preformed Rev-CRM1 complex and specifies a functional interaction with the NES.

A cytosolic activity distinct from crm1 mediates nuclear export of protein kinase inhibitor in permeabilized cells

The leucine-rich nuclear export signal (NES) is used by a variety of proteins to facilitate their delivery from the nucleus to the cytoplasm. One of the best-studied examples, protein kinase inhibitor (PKI), binds to the catalytic subunit of protein kinase A in the nucleus and mediates its rapid export to the cytoplasm. We developed a permeabilized cell assay that reconstitutes nuclear export mediated by PKI, and we used it to characterize the cytosolic factors required for this process. The two-step assay involves an import phase and an export phase, and quantitation is achieved by digital fluorescence microscopy. During the import phase, a fluorescent derivative of streptavidin is imported into the nuclei of digitonin-permeabilized HeLa cells. During the export phase, biotinylated PKI diffuses into the nucleus, binds to fluorescent streptavidin, and mediates export of the complex to the cytoplasm. Nuclear export of the PKI complex is cytosol dependent and can be stimulated by addition of the purified NES receptor, Crm1. HeLa cell cytosol treated with N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) or phenyl-Sepharose to inactivate or deplete Crm1, respectively, is still fully active in the PKI export assay. Significantly, the export activity can be depleted from cytosol by preadsorption with a protein conjugate that contains a functional NES. These data indicate that cytosol contains an export activity that is distinct from Crm1 and is likely to correspond to an NES receptor.

NTF2 mediates nuclear import of Ran

Importin beta family transport receptors shuttle between the nucleus and the cytoplasm and mediate transport of macromolecules through nuclear pore complexes (NPCs). The interactions between these receptors and their cargoes are regulated by binding RanGTP; all receptors probably exit the nucleus complexed with RanGTP, and so should deplete RanGTP continuously from the nucleus. We describe here the development of an in vitro system to study how nuclear Ran is replenished. Nuclear import of Ran does not rely on simple diffusion as Ran's small size would permit, but instead is stimulated by soluble transport factors. This facilitated import is specific for cytoplasmic RanGDP and employs nuclear transport factor 2 (NTF2) as the actual carrier. NTF2 binds RanGDP initially to NPCs and probably also mediates translocation of the NTF2-RanGDP complex to the nuclear side of the NPCs. A direct NTF2-RanGDP interaction is crucial for this process, since point mutations that disturb the RanGDP-NTF2 interaction also interfere with Ran import. The subsequent nuclear accumulation of Ran also requires GTP, but not GTP hydrolysis. The release of Ran from NTF2 into the nucleus, and thus the directionality of Ran import, probably involves nucleotide exchange to generate RanGTP, for which NTF2 has no detectable affinity, followed by binding of the RanGTP to an importin beta family transport receptor.

Mechanisms of progesterone receptor export from nuclei: role of nuclear localization signal, nuclear export signal, and ran guanosine triphosphate

Steroid hormone receptors are, in most cases, mainly nuclear proteins that undergo a continuous nucleocytoplasmic shuttling. The mechanism of the nuclear export of these proteins remains largely unknown. To approach this problem experimentally in vivo, we have prepared cell lines permanently coexpressing the wild-type nuclear progesterone receptor (PR) and a cytoplasmic receptor mutant deleted of its nuclear localization signal (NLS) [(deltaNLS)PR]. Each receptor species was deleted from the epitope recognized by a specific monoclonal antibody, thus allowing separated observation of the two receptor forms in the same cells. Administration of hormone provoked formation of heterodimers during nucleocytoplasmic shuttling and import of (deltaNLS)PR into the nucleus. Washing out of the hormone allowed us to follow the export of (deltaNLS)PR into the cytoplasm. Microinjection of BSA coupled to a NLS inhibited the export of (deltaNLS)PR. On the contrary, microinjection of BSA coupled to a nuclear export signal (NES) was without effect. Moreover, leptomycin B, which inhibits NES-mediated export, was also without effect. tsBN2 cells contain a thermosensitive RCC1 protein (Ran GTP exchange protein). At the nonpermissive temperature, the nuclear export of (deltaNLS)PR could be observed, whereas the export of NES-BSA was suppressed. Microinjection of GTPgammaS confirmed that the export of (deltaNLS)PR was not dependent on GTP hydrolysis. These experiments show that the nuclear export of PR is not NES mediated but probably involves the NLS. It does not involve Ran GTP, and it is not dependent on the hydrolysis of GTP. The nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of steroid hormone receptors thus appears to utilize mechanisms different from those previously described for some viral, regulatory, and heterogeneous ribonuclear proteins.

Yeast Los1p has properties of an exportin-like nucleocytoplasmic transport factor for tRNA

Saccharomyces cerevisiae Los1p, which is genetically linked to the nuclear pore protein Nsp1p and several tRNA biogenesis factors, was recently grouped into the family of importin/karyopherin-beta-like proteins on the basis of its sequence similarity. In a two-hybrid screen, we identified Nup2p as a nucleoporin interacting with Los1p. Subsequent purification of Los1p from yeast demonstrates its physical association not only with Nup2p but also with Nsp1p. By the use of the Gsp1p-G21V mutant, Los1p was shown to preferentially bind to the GTP-bound form of yeast Ran. Furthermore, overexpression of full-length or N-terminally truncated Los1p was shown to have dominant-negative effects on cell growth and different nuclear export pathways. Finally, Los1p could interact with Gsp1p-GTP, but only in the presence of tRNA, as revealed in an indirect in vitro binding assay. These data confirm the homology between Los1p and the recently identified human exportin for tRNA and reinforce the possibility of a role for Los1p in nuclear export of tRNA in yeast.

Nuclear mRNA export requires complex formation between Mex67p and Mtr2p at the nuclear pores

We have identified between Mex67p and Mtr2p a complex which is essential for mRNA export. This complex, either isolated from yeast or assembled in Escherichia coli, can bind in vitro to RNA through Mex67p. In vivo, Mex67p requires Mtr2p for association with the nuclear pores, which can be abolished by mutating either MEX67 or MTR2. In all cases, detachment of Mex67p from the pores into the cytoplasm correlates with a strong inhibition of mRNA export. At the nuclear pores, Nup85p represents one of the targets with which the Mex67p-Mtr2p complex interacts. Thus, Mex67p and Mtr2p constitute a novel mRNA export complex which can bind to RNA via Mex67p and which interacts with nuclear pores via Mtr2p.

The role of the ran GTPase in nuclear assembly and DNA replication: characterisation of the effects of Ran mutants

The Ran GTPase plays a critical role in nucleocytoplasmic transport and has been implicated in the maintenance of nuclear structure and cell cycle control. Here, we have investigated its role in nuclear assembly and DNA replication using recombinant wild-type and mutant Ran proteins added to a cell-free system of Xenopus egg extracts. RanQ69L and RanT24N prevent lamina assembly, PCNA accumulation and DNA replication. These effects may be due to the disruption of nucleocytoplasmic transport, since both mutants inhibit nuclear import of a protein carrying a nuclear localisation signal (NLS). RanQ69L, which is deficient in GTPase activity, sequesters importins in stable complexes that are unable to support the docking of NLS-proteins at the nuclear pore complex (NPC). RanT24N, in contrast to wild-type Ran-GDP, interacts only weakly with importin alpha and nucleoporins, and not at all with the import factor p10, consistent with its poor activity in nuclear import. However, RanT24N does interact stably with importin beta, Ran binding protein 1 and RCC1, an exchange factor for Ran. We show that Ran-GDP is essential for proper nuclear assembly and DNA replication, the requirement being primarily before the initiation of DNA replication. Ran-GDP therefore mediates the active transport of necessary factors or otherwise controls the onset of S-phase in this system.

Nucleocytoplasmic transport: the soluble phase

Active transport between the nucleus and cytoplasm involves primarily three classes of macromolecules: substrates, adaptors, and receptors. Some transport substrates bind directly to an import or an export receptor while others require one or more adaptors to mediate formation of a receptor-substrate complex. Once assembled, these transport complexes are transferred in one direction across the nuclear envelope through aqueous channels that are part of the nuclear pore complexes (NPCs). Dissociation of the transport complex must then take place, and both adaptors and receptors must be recycled through the NPC to allow another round of transport to occur. Directionality of either import or export therefore depends on association between a substrate and its receptor on one side of the nuclear envelope and dissociation on the other. The Ran GTPase is critical in generating this asymmetry. Regulation of nucleocytoplasmic transport generally involves specific inhibition of the formation of a transport complex; however, more global forms of regulation also occur.

Reconstitution of HIV-1 rev nuclear export: independent requirements for nuclear import and export

The Rev protein of HIV-1 actively shuttles between nucleus and cytoplasm and mediates the export of unspliced retroviral RNAs. The localization of shuttling proteins such as Rev is controlled by the relative rates of nuclear import and export. To study nuclear export in isolation, we generated cell lines expressing a green fluorescent protein-labeled chimeric protein consisting of HIV-1 Rev and a hormone-inducible nuclear localization sequence. Steroid removal switches off import thus allowing direct visualization of the Rev export pathway in living cells. After digitonin permeabilization of these cells, we found that a functional nuclear export sequence (NES), ATP, and fractionated cytosol were sufficient for nuclear export in vitro. Nuclear pore-specific lectins and leptomycin B were potent export inhibitors. Nuclear export was not inhibited by antagonists of calcium metabolism that block nuclear import. These data further suggest that nuclear pores do not functionally close when luminal calcium stores are depleted. The distinct requirements for nuclear import and export argue that these competing processes may be regulated independently. This system should have wide applicability for the analysis of nuclear import and export.

Leptomycin B inhibition of signal-mediated nuclear export by direct binding to CRM1

Leptomycin B (LMB) is a Streptomyces metabolite that inhibits nuclear export of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 regulatory protein Rev at low nanomolar concentrations. Recently, LMB was shown to inhibit the function of CRM1, a receptor for the nuclear export signal (NES). Here we show evidence that LMB binds directly to CRM1 and that CRM1 is essential for NES-dependent nuclear export of proteins in both yeast and mammalian cells. Binding experiments with a biotinylated derivative of LMB and a HeLa cell extract led to identifying CRM1 as a major protein that bound to the LMB derivative. Microinjection of a purified anti-human CRM1 antibody into the mammalian nucleus specifically inhibited nuclear export of NES-containing proteins, as did LMB. Consistent with this, CRM1 was found to interact with NES, when assayed with immobilized NES and HeLa cell extracts. This association was disrupted by adding LMB or purified anti-human CRM1 antibody. The inhibition of CRM1 by LMB was also observed in fission yeast. The fission yeast crm1 mutant was defective in the nuclear export of NES-fused proteins, but not in the import of nuclear localization signal (NLS)-fused proteins. Interestingly, a protein containing both NES and NLS, which is expected to shuttle between nucleus and cytoplasm, was highly accumulated in the nucleus of the crm1 mutant cells or of cells treated with LMB. These results strongly suggest that CRM1 is the target of LMB and is an essential factor for nuclear export of proteins in eukaryotes.

Control of cyclin B1 localization through regulated binding of the nuclear export factor CRM1

Activation of the Cyclin B/Cdc2 kinase complex triggers entry into mitosis in all eukaryotic cells. Cyclin B1 localization changes dramatically during the cell cycle, precipitously transiting from the cytoplasm to the nucleus at the beginning of mitosis. Presumably, this relocalization promotes the phosphorylation of nuclear targets critical for chromatin condensation and nuclear envelope breakdown. We show here that the previously characterized cytoplasmic retention sequence of Cyclin B1, responsible for its interphase cytoplasmic localization, is actually an autonomous nuclear export sequence, capable of directing nuclear export of a heterologous protein, and able to bind specifically to the recently identified export mediator, CRM1. We propose that the observed cytoplasmic localization of Cyclin B1 during interphase reflects the equilibrium between ongoing nuclear import and rapid CRM1-mediated export. In support of this hypothesis, we found that treatment of cells with leptomycin B, which disrupted Cyclin B1-CRM1 interactions, led to a marked nuclear accumulation of Cyclin B1. In mitosis, Cyclin B1 undergoes phosphorylation at several sites, a subset of which have been proposed to play a role in Cyclin B1 accumulation in the nucleus. Both CRM1 binding and the ability to direct nuclear export were affected by mutation of these phosphorylation sites; thus, we propose that Cyclin B1 phosphorylation at the G2/M transition prevents its interaction with CRM1, thereby reducing nuclear export and facilitating nuclear accumulation.

MPF localization is controlled by nuclear export

In eukaryotes, mitosis is initiated by M phase promoting factor (MPF), composed of B-type cyclins and their partner protein kinase, CDK1. In animal cells, MPF is cytoplasmic in interphase and is translocated into the nucleus after mitosis has begun, after which it associates with the mitotic apparatus until the cyclins are degraded in anaphase. We have used a fusion protein between human cyclin B1 and green fluorescent protein (GFP) to study this dynamic behaviour in real time, in living cells. We found that when we injected cyclin B1-GFP, or cyclin B1-GFP bound to CDK1 (i.e. MPF), into interphase nuclei it is rapidly exported into the cytoplasm. Cyclin B1 nuclear export is blocked by leptomycin B, an inhibitor of the recently identified export factor, exportin 1 (CRM1). The nuclear export of MPF is mediated by a nuclear export sequence in cyclin B1, and an export-defective cyclin B1 accumulates in interphase nuclei. Therefore, during interphase MPF constantly shuttles between the nucleus and the cytoplasm, but the bulk of MPF is retained in the cytoplasm by rapid nuclear export. We found that a cyclin mutant with a defective nuclear export signal does not enhance the premature mitosis caused by interfering with the regulatory phosphorylation of CDK1, but is more sensitive to inhibition by the Wee1 kinase.

Nuclear import of protein kinase C occurs by a mechanism distinct from the mechanism used by proteins with a classical nuclear localization signal

Protein kinase C does not have any known nuclear localization signal but, nevertheless, is redistributed from the cytoplasm to the nucleus upon various stimuli. In NIH 3T3 fibroblasts stimulation with phorbol ester leads to a translocation of protein kinase C alpha to the plasma membrane and into the cell nucleus. We compared the mechanism of protein kinase C alpha's transport into the nucleus with the transport mechanism of a protein with a classical nuclear localization signal at several steps. To this end, we co-microinjected fluorescently labeled bovine serum albumin to which a nuclear localization signal peptide was coupled, together with substances interfering with conventional nuclear protein import. Thereafter, the distribution of both the nuclear localization signal-bearing reporter protein and protein kinase C alpha was analyzed in the same cells. We can show that, in contrast to the nuclear localization signal-dependent transport, the phorbol ester-induced transport of protein kinase C alpha is not affected by microinjection of antibodies against the nuclear import factor p97/importin/karyopherin beta or microinjection of non-hydrolyzable GTP-analogs. This suggests that nuclear import of protein kinase C alpha is independent of p97/importin/karyopherin beta and independent of GTP. At the nuclear pore there are differences between the mechanisms too, since nuclear transport of protein kinase C alpha cannot be inhibited by wheat germ agglutinin or an antibody against nuclear pore complex proteins. Together these findings demonstrate that the nuclear import of protein kinase C alpha occurs by a mechanism distinct from the one used by classical nuclear localization signal-bearing proteins at several stages.

A member of the Ran-binding protein family, Yrb2p, is involved in nuclear protein export

Yeast cells mutated in YRB2, which encodes a nuclear protein with similarity to other Ran-binding proteins, fail to export nuclear export signal (NES)-containing proteins including HIV Rev out of the nucleus. Unlike Xpo1p/Crm1p/exportin, an NES receptor, Yrb2p does not shuttle between the nucleus and the cytoplasm but instead remains inside the nucleus. However, by both biochemical and genetic criteria, Yrb2p interacts with Xpo1p and not with other members of the importin/karyopherin beta superfamily. Moreover, the Yrb2p region containing nucleoporin-like FG repeats is important for NES-mediated protein export. Taken together, these data suggest that Yrb2p acts inside the nucleus to mediate the action of Xpo1p in at least one of several nuclear export pathways.

Nuclear import and export of viruses and virus genomes

Many viruses replicate in the nucleus of their animal and plant host cells. Nuclear import, export, and nucleo-cytoplasmic shuttling play a central role in their replication cycle. Although the trafficking of individual virus proteins into and out of the nucleus has been well studied for some virus systems, the nuclear transport of larger entities such as viral genomes and capsids has only recently become a subject of molecular analysis. In this review, the general concepts emerging are discussed and a survey is provided of current information on both plant and animal viruses. Summarizing the main findings in this emerging field, it is evident that most viruses that enter or exit the nucleus take advantage of the cell's nuclear import and export machinery. With a few exceptions, viruses seem to cross the nuclear envelope through the nuclear pore complexes, making use of cellular nuclear import and export signals, receptors, and transport factors. In many cases, they capitalize on subtle control systems such as phosphorylation that regulate traffic of cellular components into and out of the nucleus. The large size of viral capsids and their composition (they contain large RNA and DNA molecules for which there are few precedents in normal nuclear transport) make the processes unique and complicated. Prior capsid disassembly (or deformation) is required before entry of viral genomes and accessory proteins can occur through nuclear pores. Capsids of different virus families display diverse uncoating programs which culminate in genome transfer through the nuclear pores.

Transport routes through the nuclear pore complex

The nuclear pore complex can be considered to be the stationary phase of bidirectional traffic between the nucleus and the cytoplasm. The mobile phase consists of karyopherins, transport substrates, and the small GTPase Ran and its modulators. Recently, the family of karyopherins was expanded with the recognition of numerous open reading frames with limited homology to karyopherin beta 1. In several cases, the specific substrates transported by the new karyopherins have been identified, allowing the characterization of new pathways into and out of the nucleus. However, the mechanisms of transport, particularly the role of Ran, remain poorly understood.

Functions of the GTPase Ran in RNA export from the nucleus

Significant and exciting advances in the field of RNA and protein export have been made recently, due in large part to discovery of the roles played by Ran, a small, soluble GTPase present in both the nucleus and cytoplasm of all eukaryotic cells. Ran is thought to be primarily bound to GTP in the nucleus and to GDP in the cytoplasm, as a result of the assymetric distribution of factors that interact with Ran to promote guanine nucleotide exchange (in the nucleus) and GTP hydrolysis (in the cytoplasm). A key function of the nuclear Ran.GTP is to support formation of complexes containing an export receptor (an exportin) and cargos such as RNAs, RNPs or proteins that are destined for export. In the cytoplasm, removal of the Ran.GTP from the complex results in its destabilization and release of the export cargo. Although Ran.GTP is required for formation of the export complex, GTP hydrolysis does not appear to be necessary for translocation through the nuclear pore complex or cytoplasmic release. Nevertheless, the GTPase of Ran does appear to be required in as yet unidentified intranuclear steps prior to export of some, but not all, RNAs.

Nucleocytoplasmic transport: driving and directing transport

Nucleocytoplasmic transport involves assembly and movement across the nuclear envelope of cargo-receptor complexes that interact with the small GTPase Ran. The asymmetric distribution of Ran regulator proteins, RanGAP1 and RCC1, provides the driving force and directionality for nuclear transport.

Nucleocytoplasmic shuttling factors including Ran and CRM1 mediate nuclear export of NFAT In vitro

We have developed a permeabilized cell assay to study the nuclear export of the shuttling transcription factor NFAT, which contains a leucine-rich export signal. The assay uses HeLa cells that are stably transfected with NFAT fused to the green fluorescent protein (GFP). Nuclear export of GFP-NFAT in digitonin-permeabilized cells occurs in a temperature- and ATP-dependent manner and can be quantified by flow cytometry. In vitro NFAT export requires the GTPase Ran, which is released from cells during the digitonin permeabilization. At least one additional rate-limiting export factor is depleted from permeabilized cells by a preincubation at 30 degrees C in the absence of cytosol. This activity can be provided by cytosolic or nucleoplasmic extracts in a subsequent export step. Using this assay, we have purified a second major export activity from cytosol. We found that it corresponds to CRM1, a protein recently reported to be a receptor for certain leucine-rich export sequences. CRM1 appears to be imported into the nucleus by a Ran-dependent mechanism that is distinct from conventional signaling pathways. Considered together, our studies directly demonstrate by fractionation and reconstitution that nuclear export of NFAT is mediated by multiple nucleocytoplasmic shuttling factors, including Ran and CRM1.

Two-way trafficking with Ran

The small Ras-related GTPase Ran is directly involved in nuclear protein import and export. However, the question of how Ran functions in transport is highly controversial. Here, we suggest that Ran is important for the formation, vectorial movement and disassembly of many different classes of transport complexes that traverse the nuclear pore complex during import and export processes. Comparison of Ran with the translation elongation factor Ef-Tu raises the possibility that Ran might also be involved in a proofreading function related to the assembly of import complexes. Although aspects of this model are hypothetical and challenge some current dogma in the field, we believe that it can integrate most of the current data into a coherent picture of the import process.

Dbp5p/Rat8p is a yeast nuclear pore-associated DEAD-box protein essential for RNA export

To identify Saccharomyces cerevisiae genes important for nucleocytoplasmic export of messenger RNA, we screened mutant strains to identify those in which poly(A)+ RNA accumulated in nuclei under nonpermissive conditions. We describe the identification of DBP5 as the gene defective in the strain carrying the rat8-1 allele (RAT = ribonucleic acid trafficking). Dbp5p/Rat8p, a previously uncharacterized member of the DEAD-box family of proteins, is closely related to eukaryotic initiation factor 4A(eIF4A) an RNA helicase essential for protein synthesis initiation. Analysis of protein databases suggests most eukaryotic genomes encode a DEAD-box protein that is probably a homolog of yeast Dbp5p/Rat8p. Temperature-sensitive alleles of DBP5/RAT8 were prepared. In rat8 mutant strains, cells displayed rapid, synchronous accumulation of poly(A)+ RNA in nuclei when shifted to the non-permissive temperature. Dbp5p/Rat8p is located within the cytoplasm and concentrated in the perinuclear region. Analysis of the distribution of Dbp5p/Rat8p in yeast strains where nuclear pore complexes are tightly clustered indicated that a fraction of this protein associates with nuclear pore complexes (NPCs). The strong mutant phenotype, association of the protein with NPCs and genetic interaction with factors involved in RNA export provide strong evidence that Dbp5p/Rat8p plays a direct role in RNA export.

Importins and exportins: how to get in and out of the nucleus

Every minute, several million protein and RNA molecules must be transported between the cytoplasm and the nucleus of a eukaryotic cell. The characterization of mediators, receptors and accessory factors for different nuclear import and export pathways has provided a glimpse at the molecular machinery that is responsible for these trafficking events. It appears that both inbound and outbound traffic is mediated by a protein family of related transport factors that can be classified as importins and exportins.

Mtr10p functions as a nuclear import receptor for the mRNA-binding protein Npl3p

MTR10, previously shown to be involved in mRNA export, was found in a synthetic lethal relationship with nucleoporin NUP85. Green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged Mtr10p localizes preferentially inside the nucleus, but a nuclear pore and cytoplasmic distribution is also evident. Purified Mtr10p forms a complex with Npl3p, an RNA-binding protein that shuttles in and out of the nucleus. In mtr10 mutants, nuclear uptake of Npl3p is strongly impaired at the restrictive temperature, while import of a classic nuclear localization signal (NLS)-containing protein is not. Accordingly, the NLS within Npl3p is extended and consists of the RGG box plus a short and non-repetitive C-terminal tail. Mtr10p interacts in vitro with Gsp1p-GTP, but with low affinity. Interestingly, Npl3p dissociates from Mtr10p only by incubation with Ran-GTP plus RNA. This suggests that Npl3p follows a distinct nuclear import pathway and that intranuclear release from its specific import receptor Mtr10p requires the cooperative action of both Ran-GTP and newly synthesized mRNA.

Structural basis for molecular recognition between nuclear transport factor 2 (NTF2) and the GDP-bound form of the Ras-family GTPase Ran

Nuclear transport factor 2 (NTF2) and the Ras-family GTPase Ran are two soluble components of the nuclear protein import machinery. NTF2 binds GDP-Ran selectively and this interaction is important for efficient nuclear protein import in vivo. We have used X-ray crystallography to determine the structure of the macromolecular complex formed between GDP-Ran and nuclear transport factor 2 (NTF2) at 2.5 A resolution. The interaction interface involves primarily the putative switch II loop of Ran (residues 65 to 78) and the hydrophobic cavity and surrounding surface of NTF2. The major contribution to the interaction made by the switch II loop accounts for the ability of NTF2 to discriminate between GDP and GTP-bound forms of Ran. The aromatic side-chain of Ran Phe72 inserts into the NTF2 cavity and accounts for 22% of the surface area buried by the interaction interface, while salt bridges are formed between Lys71 and Arg76 of Ran with Asp92/Asp94 and Glu42 of NTF2, respectively. These salt bridges account for the inhibition of the Ran-NTF2 interaction by NTF2 mutants such as E42 K and D92/94N in which the negatively charged residues surrounding the cavity were altered. Because the interaction interface maintains the positions of key Ran residues involved in binding MgGDP, NTF2 binding may help stabilize the switch state of Ran, possibly in the context of targeting it to other components of the nuclear protein import machinery to specify directionality of transport. The binding of GDP-Ran at the NTF2 cavity raises the possibility that this interaction might be modulated by a metabolite or small molecule substrate for NTF2's putative enzymatic activity.

Identification of a tRNA-specific nuclear export receptor

In eukaryotes, tRNAs are synthesized in the nucleus and after several maturation steps exported to the cytoplasm. Here, we identify exportin-t as a specific mediator of tRNA export. It is a RanGTP-binding, importin beta-related factor with predominantly nuclear localization. It shuttles rapidly between nucleus and cytoplasm and interacts with nuclear pore complexes. Exportin-t binds tRNA directly and with high affinity. Its cellular concentration in Xenopus oocytes was found to be rate-limiting for export of all tRNAs tested, as judged by microinjection experiments. RanGTP regulates the substrate-exportin-t interaction such that tRNA can be preferentially bound in the nucleus and released in the cytoplasm.

Import and export of the nuclear protein import receptor transportin by a mechanism independent of GTP hydrolysis

BACKGROUND

Nuclear protein import and export are mediated by receptor proteins that recognize nuclear localization sequences (NLSs) or nuclear export sequences (NESs) and target the NLS-bearing or NES-bearing protein to the nuclear pore complex (NPC). Temperature-dependent translocation of the receptor-cargo complex in both directions through the NPC requires the GTPase Ran, and it has been proposed that the Ran GTPase cycle mediates translocation. We have addressed the role of GTP hydrolysis in these processes by studying the import receptor transportin, which mediates the import of a group of abundant heterogeneous nuclear RNA-binding proteins bearing the M9 NLS.

RESULTS

We investigated the transport properties of transportin and found that the carboxy-terminal region of transportin could, by itself, be imported into the nucleus. Transportin import and export were inhibited by low temperature in vitro, but were unaffected by the non-hydrolyzable GTP analogue GMP-PNP.

CONCLUSIONS

Temperature-dependent import and export through the NPC can be uncoupled from the Ran GTPase cycle and can occur without GTP hydrolysis.

The HIV-1 Rev protein

The nuclear export of intron-containing HIV-1 RNA is critically dependent on the activity of Rev, a virally encoded sequence-specific RNA-binding protein. Rev shuttles between the nucleus and the cytoplasm and harbors both a nuclear localization signal and a nuclear export signal. These essential peptide motifs have now been shown to function by accessing cellular signal-mediated pathways for nuclear import and nuclear export. HIV-1 Rev therefore represents an excellent system with which to study aspects of transport across the nuclear envelope.

RanBP1 is crucial for the release of RanGTP from importin beta-related nuclear transport factors

Nucleocytoplasmic transport appears mediated by shuttling transport receptors that bind RanGTP as a means to regulate interactions with their cargoes. The receptor-RanGTP complexes are kinetically very stable with nucleotide exchange and GTP hydrolysis being blocked, predicting that a specific disassembly mechanism exists. Here we show in three cases receptor RanGTP x RanBP1 complexes to be the key disassembly intermediates, where RanBP1 stimulates the off-rate at the receptor/RanGTP interface by more than two orders of magnitude. The transiently released RanGTP x RanBP1 complex is then induced by RanGAP to hydrolyse GTP, preventing the receptor to rebind RanGTP. The efficient release of importin beta from RanGTP requires importin alpha, in addition to RanBP1.

The asymmetric distribution of the constituents of the Ran system is essential for transport into and out of the nucleus

The GTPase Ran is essential for nuclear import of proteins with a classical nuclear localization signal (NLS). Ran's nucleotide-bound state is determined by the chromatin-bound exchange factor RCC1 generating RanGTP in the nucleus and the cytoplasmic GTPase activating protein RanGAP1 depleting RanGTP from the cytoplasm. This predicts a steep RanGTP concentration gradient across the nuclear envelope. RanGTP binding to importin-beta has previously been shown to release importin-alpha from -beta during NLS import. We show that RanGTP also induces release of the M9 signal from the second identified import receptor, transportin. The role of RanGTP distribution is further studied using three methods to collapse the RanGTP gradient. Nuclear injection of either RanGAP1, the RanGTP binding protein RanBP1 or a Ran mutant that cannot stably bind GTP. These treatments block major export and import pathways across the nuclear envelope. Different export pathways exhibit distinct sensitivities to RanGTP depletion, but all are more readily inhibited than is import of either NLS or M9 proteins, indicating that the block of export is direct rather than a secondary consequence of import inhibition. Surprisingly, nuclear export of several substrates including importin-alpha and -beta, transportin, HIV Rev and tRNA appears to require nuclear RanGTP but may not require GTP hydrolysis by Ran, suggesting that the energy for their nuclear export is supplied by another source.