Laboratory of Cellular and Structural Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA.
Trends Biochem Sci. 2021 Jul;46(7):595-607. doi: 10.1016/j.tibs.2021.01.003. Epub 2021 Feb 6.
The nuclear pore complex (NPC) is the massive protein assembly that regulates the transport of macromolecules between the nucleus and the cytoplasm. Recent breakthroughs have provided major insights into the structure of the NPC in different eukaryotes, revealing a previously unsuspected diversity of NPC architectures. In parallel, the NPC has been shown to be a key player in regulating essential nuclear processes such as chromatin organization, gene expression, and DNA repair. However, our knowledge of the NPC structure has not been able to address the molecular mechanisms underlying its regulatory roles. We discuss potential explanations, including the coexistence of alternative NPC architectures with specific functional roles.
核孔复合体（NPC）是一种大规模的蛋白质组装体，调节核质与细胞质之间的大分子物质运输。最近的突破为不同真核生物中 NPC 的结构提供了重要的见解，揭示了 NPC 结构以前未被怀疑的多样性。与此同时，NPC 已被证明是调节核内基本过程（如染色质组织、基因表达和 DNA 修复）的关键因素。然而，我们对 NPC 结构的了解还无法解决其调节作用的分子机制。我们讨论了潜在的解释，包括具有特定功能作用的替代 NPC 结构的共存。
