Hayama Ryo, Rout Michael P, Fernandez-Martinez Javier
Laboratory of Cellular and Structural Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA.
Laboratory of Cellular and Structural Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA.
Curr Opin Cell Biol. 2017 Jun;46:110-118. doi: 10.1016/j.ceb.2017.05.003. Epub 2017 Jun 15.
The study of the nuclear pore complex (NPC) is a fascinating endeavor, as it not only implies uncovering the 'engineering marvel' of its architecture and function, but also provides a key window into a significant evolutionary event: the origin of the eukaryotic cell. The combined efforts of many groups in the field, with the help of novel methodologies and new model organisms, are facilitating a much deeper understanding of this complex assembly. Here we cover recent advances on the characterization of the structure of the NPC scaffold and of the biophysical mechanisms that define the permeability barrier. We identify common architectural and functional principles between those two NPC compartments, expanding the previous protocoatomer hypothesis to suggest possible evolutionary origins for the FG nucleoporins and the NPC permeability barrier.
对核孔复合体（NPC）的研究是一项引人入胜的工作，因为它不仅意味着揭示其结构和功能的“工程奇迹”，还为一个重大的进化事件——真核细胞的起源，提供了一扇关键窗口。该领域众多研究团队借助新颖的方法和新的模式生物，共同努力，正推动着我们对这个复杂组件有更深入的理解。在此，我们将介绍NPC支架结构表征以及界定通透屏障的生物物理机制方面的最新进展。我们确定了这两个NPC组件之间共同的结构和功能原理，扩展了之前的原衣壳假说，以推测FG核孔蛋白和NPC通透屏障可能的进化起源。
