The Structure Inventory of the Nuclear Pore Complex

Abstract

The nuclear pore complex (NPC) is the principal gateway for molecular exchange between nucleus and cytoplasm across the nuclear envelope. Due to its sheer size of estimated 50-112 MDa and its complex buildup from about 500-1000 individual proteins, it is a difficult object to study for structural biologists. Here, I review the extensive ensemble of high-resolution structures of the building blocks of the NPC. Concurrent with the increase in size and complexity, these latest, large structures and assemblies can now be used as the basis for hybrid approaches, primarily in combination with cryo-electron microscopic analysis, generating the first structure-based assembly models of the NPC. Going forward, the structures will be critically important for a detailed analysis of the NPC, including function, evolution, and assembly. Keywords: macromolecular complexes; nuclear pore complex