Concentration of Ran on chromatin induces decondensation,nuclear envelope formation and nuclear pore complex assembly

Nuclear envelope (NE) formation can be studied in a cell-free system made from Xenopus eggs. In this system, NE formation involves the small GTPase Ran. Ran associates with chromatin early in nuclear assembly and concentration of Ran on inert beads is sufficient to induce NE formation. Here, we show that Ran binds to chromatin prior to NE formation and recruits RCC1, the nucleotide exchange factor that generates Ran-GTP. In extracts prepared by high-speed centrifugation, increased concentrations of Ran are sufficient to induce chromatin decondensation and NE assembly. Using field emission in-lens scanning electron microscopy (FEISEM), we show that Ran promotes the formation of smoothed membranes and the assembly of nuclear pore complexes (NPCs). In contrast, RanT24N, a mutant that fails to bind GTP and inhibits RCC1, does not support efficient NE assembly, whereas RanQ69L, a mutant locked in a GTP-bound state, permits some membrane vesicle recruitment to chromatin, but inhibits vesicle fusion and NPC assembly. Thus, binding of Ran to chromatin, followed by local generation of Ran-GTP and GTP hydrolysis by Ran, induces chromatin decondensation, membrane vesicle recruitment, membrane formation and NPC assembly. We propose that the biological activity of Ran is determined by its targeting to structures such as chromatin as well as its guanine nucleotide bound state.     

Spatial and temporal control of nuclear envelope assembly by Ran GTPase

Using evidence derived primarily from studies using Xenopus egg extracts, a model for the role of Ran in multiple stages during NE assembly can be proposed (Figure 2). Ran is concentrated on chromatin prior to NE assembly and recruits RCC1 that generates Ran-GTP locally. Recruitment of RCC1 to chromatin may be a specialized mechanism to initiate NE assembly following fertilization of the egg, whereas in somatic cells, RCC1 may be present on chromatin throughout mitosis. Ran-GTP recruits vesicles to the surface of chromatin, and promotes vesicle fusion to form the double membrane of the NE. Ran-GTP may recruit membrane vesicles to chromatin through binding to integral membrane proteins through importin-beta. A transient complex would be formed between Ran-GTP, importin-beta and the target protein, which would be released locally to promote assembly of a precursor complex. GTP hydrolysis by Ran would release importin-beta, but may also play a role in vesicle fusion. Ran-GTP also promotes NPC assembly by releasing nucleoporins such as Nup107 from inhibitory complexes with importin-beta. In vertebrate cells undergoing mitosis, the majority of Ran molecules are excluded from the chromosomes and dispersed into the cytoplasm. Relocalization of Ran to chromatin at the end of mitosis may co-ordinate the initiation of NE assembly with disassembly of the mitotic spindle. The function of Ran in this transition is likely to be coupled to changes in the activity of cyclin-dependent protein kinases and other activities that control the progression of the cell cycle. Thus, changes in the localization of Ran and its regulators provide temporal and spatial control of NE assembly at the end of mitosis.     

GTP hydrolysis by Ran is required for nuclear envelope assembly

Nuclear formation in Xenopus egg extracts requires cytosol and is inhibited by GTP gamma S, indicating a requirement for GTPase activity. Nuclear envelope (NE) vesicle fusion is extensively inhibited by GTP gamma S and two mutant forms of the Ran GTPase, Q69L and T24N. Depletion of either Ran or RCC1, the exchange factor for Ran, from the assembly reaction also inhibits this step of NE formation. Ran depletion can be complemented by the addition of Ran loaded with either GTP or GDP but not with GTP gamma S. RCC1 depletion is only complemented by RCC1 itself or by RanGTP. Thus, generation of RanGTP by RCC1 and GTP hydrolysis by Ran are both required for the extensive membrane fusion events that lead to NE formation.     

Co-activation of RanGTPase and inhibition of GTP dissociation by Ran-GTP binding protein RanBP1.

RCC1 (the regulator of chromosome condensation) stimulates guanine nucleotide dissociation on the Ras-related nuclear protein Ran. Both polypeptides are components of a regulatory pathway that has been implicated in regulating DNA replication, onset of and exit from mitosis, mRNA processing and transport, and import of proteins into the nucleus. In a search for further members of the RCC1-Ran signal pathway, we have identified proteins of 23, 45 and 300 kDa which tightly bind to Ran-GTP but not Ran-GDP. The purified soluble 23 kDa Ran binding protein RanBP1 does not activate RanGTPase, but increases GTP hydrolysis induced by the RanGTPase-activating protein RanGAP1 by an order of magnitude. In the absence of RanGAP, it strongly inhibits RCC1-induced exchange of Ran-bound GTP. In addition, it forms a stable complex with nucleotide-free RCC1-Ran. With these properties, it differs markedly from guanine diphosphate dissociation inhibitors which preferentially prevent the exchange of protein-bound GDP and in some cases were shown to inhibit GAP-induced GTP hydrolysis. RanBP1 is the first member of a new class of proteins regulating the binding and hydrolysis of GTP by Ras-related proteins.     

Plant-specific mitotic targeting of RanGAP requires a functional WPP domain

The small GTPase Ran is involved in nucleocytoplasmic transport, spindle formation, nuclear envelope (NE) formation, and cell-cycle control. In vertebrates, these functions are controlled by a three-dimensional gradient of Ran-GTP to Ran-GDP, established by the spatial separation of Ran GTPase-activating protein (RanGAP) and the Ran guanine nucleotide exchange factor RCC1. While this spatial separation is established by the NE during interphase, it is orchestrated during mitosis by association of RCC1 with the chromosomes and RanGAP with the spindle and kinetochores. SUMOylation of vertebrate RanGAP1 is required for NE, spindle, and centromere association. Arabidopsis RanGAP1 (AtRanGAP1) lacks the SUMOylated C-terminal domain of vertebrate RanGAP, but contains a plant-specific N-terminal domain (WPP domain), which is necessary and sufficient for its targeting to the NE in interphase. Here we show that the human and plant RanGAP-targeting domains are kingdom specific. AtRanGAP1 has a mitotic trafficking pattern uniquely different from that of vertebrate RanGAP, which includes targeting to the outward-growing rim of the cell plate. The WPP domain is necessary and sufficient for this targeting. Point mutations in conserved residues of the WPP domain also abolish targeting to the nuclear rim and the cell plate, suggesting that the same mechanism is involved in both targeting events. These results indicate that plant and animal RanGAPs undergo different migration patterns during cell division, which require their kingdom-specific targeting domains.     

Role of importin-beta in the control of nuclear envelope assembly by Ran

Compartmentalization of the genetic material into a nucleus bounded by a nuclear envelope (NE) is the hallmark of a eukaryotic cell. The control of NE assembly is poorly understood, but in a cell-free system made from Xenopus eggs, NE assembly involves the small GTPase Ran. In this system, Sepharose beads coated with Ran induce the formation of functional NEs in the absence of chromatin. Here, we show that importin-beta, an effector of Ran involved in nucleocytoplasmic transport and mitotic spindle assembly, is required for NE assembly induced by Ran. Concentration of importin-beta on beads is sufficient to induce NE assembly in Xenopus egg extracts. The function of importin-beta in NE assembly is disrupted by a mutation that decreases affinity for nucleoporins containing FxFG repeats. By contrast, a truncated protein that cannot interact with importin-alpha is functional. Thus, importin-beta functions in NE assembly by recruiting FxFG nucleoporins rather than by interaction through importin-alpha with karyophilic proteins carrying classical nuclear localization signals. Importin-beta links NE assembly, mitotic spindle assembly, and nucleocytoplasmic transport to regulation by Ran and may coordinate these processes during cell division.     

Ran及其结合与调控蛋白在核膜装配过程中的调控作用

核膜在细胞周期中呈现高度的动态性：在细胞分裂的前中期,核膜崩解并分散到细胞质中;在细胞分裂的后期,核膜开始在染色体的表面重新装配,最终形成完整的核膜结构。近期的研究发现,Ran GTP酶、物质转运蛋白importinβ、内层核膜蛋白LBR（lamin B receptor）以及核孔复合体蛋白nucleoporins在核膜重建的过程中起关键性调控作用,并受到细胞周期调控因子p34cdc2激酶的调节。LBR是一个八次跨膜的膜蛋白,主要定位于内层核膜。在细胞分裂的早期,随着核膜崩解,LBR与核膜崩解而生成的小膜泡一起分散到细胞质中;在细胞分裂的后期,通过LBR与importinβ相互结合,含有LBR的膜泡被importinβ携带至染色质的表面参与核膜重建。目前已知p34cdc2激酶对LBR与importinβ介导的核膜重建起重要调控作用。Nucleoporins是核孔复合体主要组分。随核膜崩解,核孔复合体解聚成nucleoporins,分散到细胞质中,或结合到其他亚细胞成分上。细胞分裂后期,核孔复合体伴随核膜装配而组装。     

Subgroup II PAK-mediated phosphorylation regulates Ran activity during mitosis

Ran is an essential GTPase that controls nucleocytoplasmic transport, mitosis, and nuclear envelope formation. These functions are regulated by interaction of Ran with different partners, and by formation of a Ran-GTP gradient emanating from chromatin. Here, we identify a novel level of Ran regulation. We show that Ran is a substrate for p21-activated kinase 4 (PAK4) and that its phosphorylation on serine-135 increases during mitosis. The endogenous phosphorylated Ran and active PAK4 dynamically associate with different components of the microtubule spindle during mitotic progression. A GDP-bound Ran phosphomimetic mutant cannot undergo RCC1-mediated GDP/GTP exchange and cannot induce microtubule asters in mitotic Xenopus egg extracts. Conversely, phosphorylation of GTP-bound Ran facilitates aster nucleation. Finally, phosphorylation of Ran on serine-135 impedes its binding to RCC1 and RanGAP1. Our study suggests that PAK4-mediated phosphorylation of GDP- or GTP-bound Ran regulates the assembly of Ran-dependent complexes on the mitotic spindle.     

Chromatin-bound NLS proteins recruit membrane vesicles and nucleoporins for nuclear envelope assembly via importin-α/β

The mechanism for nuclear envelope (NE) assembly is not fully understood. Importin-β and the small GTPase Ran have been implicated in the spatial regulation of NE assembly process. Here we report that chromatin-bound NLS (nuclear localization sequence) proteins provide docking sites for the NE precursor membrane vesicles and nucleoporins via importin-α and -β during NE assembly in Xenopus egg extracts. We show that along with the fast recruitment of the abundant NLS proteins such as nucleoplasmin and histones to the demembranated sperm chromatin in the extracts, importin-α binds the chromatin NLS proteins rapidly. Meanwhile, importin-β binds cytoplasmic NE precursor membrane vesicles and nucleoporins. Through interacting with importin-α on the chromatin NLS proteins, importin-β targets the membrane vesicles and nucleoporins to the chromatin surface. Once encountering Ran-GTP on the chromatin generated by RCC1, importin-β preferentially binds Ran-GTP and releases the membrane vesicles and nucleoporins for NE assembly. NE assembly is disrupted by blocking the interaction between importin-α and NLS proteins with excess soluble NLS proteins or by depletion of importin-β from the extract. Our findings reveal a novel molecular mechanism for NE assembly in Xenopus egg extracts.     

Ran-GTP regulates Kinetochore Attachment in Somatic Cells

The Ran GTPase controls multiple mitotic processes in Xenopus egg extracts, including mitotic checkpoints, spindle assembly and post-mitotic nuclear envelope reassembly. We have analyzed Ran’s role in somatic cells. We uncovered a novel mitotic role of Ran-GTP, involving the Crm1 nuclear export receptor. This pathway is an important mode of Ran-GTP function during mitosis in mammalian somatic cells, whichmediates the recruitment of the RanGAP1/RanBP2 complex to kinetochores and maintains the microtubule-based fibers connecting kinetochores to spindle poles (kfibers). Here we discuss potential implications of these findings for normal k-fiber assembly.     

Targeting of RCC1 to chromosomes is required for proper mitotic spindle assembly in human cells

Ran GTPase is involved in several aspects of nuclear structure and function, including nucleocytoplasmic transport and nuclear envelope formation. Experiments using Xenopus egg extracts have shown that generation of Ran-GTP by the guanine nucleotide exchange factor RCC1 also plays roles in mitotic spindle assembly. Here, we have examined the localization and function of RCC1 in mitotic human cells. We show that RCC1, either the endogenous protein or that expressed as a fusion with green fluorescent protein (GFP), is localized predominantly to chromosomes in mitotic cells. This localization requires an N-terminal lysine-rich region that also contains a nuclear localization signal and is enhanced by interaction with Ran. Either mislocalization of GFP-RCC1 by removal of the N-terminal region or the expression of dominant Ran mutants that perturb the GTP/GDP cycle causes defects in mitotic spindle morphology, including misalignment of chromosomes and abnormal numbers of spindle poles. These results indicate that the generation of Ran-GTP in the vicinity of chromosomes by RCC1 is important for the fidelity of mitotic spindle assembly in human cells. Defects in this system may result in abnormal chromosome segregation and genomic instability, which are characteristic of many cancer cells.     

An<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Arabidopsis</Emphasis> Ran-binding protein,AtRanBP1c,is a co-activator of Ran GTPase-activating protein and requires the C-terminus for its cytoplasmic localization

Ran-binding proteins (RanBPs) are a group of proteins that bind to Ran (Ras-related nuclear small GTP-binding protein), and thus either control the GTP/GDP-bound states of Ran or help couple the Ran GTPase cycle to a cellular process. AtRanBP1c is a Ran-binding protein from Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. that was recently shown to be critically involved in the regulation of auxin-induced mitotic progression [S.-H. Kim et al. (2001) Plant Cell 13:2619-2630]. Here we report that AtRanBP1c inhibits the EDTA-induced release of GTP from Ran and serves as a co-activator of Ran-GTPase-activating protein (RanGAP) in vitro. Transient expression of AtRanBP1c fused to a beta-glucuronidase (GUS) reporter reveals that the protein localizes primarily to the cytosol. Neither the N- nor C-terminus of AtRanBP1c, which flank the Ran-binding domain (RanBD), is necessary for the binding of PsRan1-GTP to the protein, but both are needed for the cytosolic localization of GUS-fused AtRanBP1c. These findings, together with a previous report that AtRanBP1c is critically involved in root growth and development, imply that the promotion of GTP hydrolysis by the Ran/RanGAP/AtRanBP1c complex in the cytoplasm, and the resulting concentration gradient of Ran-GDP to Ran-GTP across the nuclear membrane could be important in the regulation of auxin-induced mitotic progression in root tips of A. thaliana.     

Anchorage of plant RanGAP to the nuclear envelope involves novel nuclear-pore-associated proteins

The Ran GTPase controls multiple cellular processes including nucleocytoplasmic transport, spindle assembly, and nuclear envelope (NE) formation [1-4]. Its roles are accomplished by the asymmetric distribution of RanGTP and RanGDP enabled by the specific locations of the Ran GTPase-activating protein RanGAP and the nucleotide exchange factor RCC1 [5-8]. Mammalian RanGAP1 targeting to the NE and kinetochores requires interaction of its sumoylated C-terminal domain with the nucleoporin Nup358/RanBP2 [9-14]. In contrast, Arabidopsis RanGAP1 is associated with the NE and cell plate, mediated by an N-terminal, plant-specific WPP domain [15-18]. In the absence of RanBP2 in plants, the mechanism for spatially sequestering plant RanGAP is unknown. Here, Arabidopsis WPP-domain interacting proteins (WIPs) that interact with RanGAP1 in vivo and colocalize with RanGAP1 at the NE and cell plate were identified. Immunogold labeling indicates that WIP1 is associated with the outer NE. In a wip1-1/wip2-1/wip3-1 triple mutant, RanGAP1 is dislocated from the NE in undifferentiated root-tip cells, whereas NE targeting in differentiated root cells and targeting to the cell plate remain intact. We propose that WIPs are novel plant nucleoporins involved in RanGAP1 NE anchoring in specific cell types. Our data support a separate evolution of RanGAP targeting mechanisms in different kingdoms.     

Random mutagenesis and functional analysis of the Ran-binding protein, RanBP1

Ran GTPase is required for nucleocytoplasmic transport of many types of cargo. Several proteins that recognize Ran in its GTP-bound state (Ran x GTP) possess a conserved Ran-binding domain (RanBD). Ran-binding protein-1 (RanBP1) has a single RanBD and is required for RanGAP-mediated GTP hydrolysis and release of Ran from nuclear transport receptors (karyopherins). In budding yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), RanBP1 is encoded by the essential YRB1 gene; expression of mouse RanBP1 cDNA rescues the lethality of Yrb1-deficient cells. We generated libraries of mouse RanBP1 mutants and examined 11 mutants in vitro and for their ability to complement a temperature-sensitive yrb1 mutant (yrb1-51(ts)) in vivo. In 9 of the mutants, the alteration was a change in a residue (or 2 residues) that is conserved in all known RanBDs. However, 4 of these 9 mutants displayed biochemical properties indistinguishable from that of wild-type RanBP1. These mutants bound to Ran x GTP, stimulated RanGAP, inhibited the exchange activity of RCC1, and rescued growth of the yrb1-51(ts) yeast cells. Two of the 9 mutants altered in residues thought to be essential for interaction with Ran were unable to rescue growth of the yrb1(ts) mutant and did not bind detectably to Ran in vitro. However, one of these 2 mutants (and 2 others that were crippled in other RanBP1 functions) retained some ability to co-activate RanGAP. A truncated form of RanBP1 (lacking its nuclear export signal) was able to complement the yrb1(ts) mutation. When driven from the YRB1 promoter, 4 of the 5 mutants most impaired for Ran binding were unable to rescue growth of the yrb1(ts) cells; remarkably, these mutants could nevertheless form ternary complexes with importin-5 or importin-beta and Ran-GTP. The same mutants stimulated only inefficiently RanGAP-mediated GTP hydrolysis of the Ran x GTP x importin-5 complex. Thus, the essential biological activity of RanBP1 in budding yeast correlates not with Ran x GTP binding per se or with the ability to form ternary complexes with karyopherins, but with the capacity to potentiate RanGAP activity toward GTP-bound Ran in these complexes.     

GTP hydrolysis is required for vesicle fusion during nuclear envelope assembly in vitro

Nuclear envelope assembly was studied in vitro using extracts from Xenopus eggs. Nuclear-specific vesicles bound to demembranated sperm chromatin but did not fuse in the absence of cytosol. Addition of cytosol stimulated vesicle fusion, pore complex assembly, and eventual nuclear envelope growth. Vesicle binding and fusion were assayed by light and electron microscopy. Addition of ATP and GTP to bound vesicles caused limited vesicle fusion, but enclosure of the chromatin was not observed. This result suggested that nondialyzable soluble components were required for nuclear vesicle fusion. GTP gamma S and guanylyl imidodiphosphate significantly inhibited vesicle fusion but had no effect on vesicle binding to chromatin. Preincubation of membranes with 1 mM GTP gamma S or GTP did not impair vesicle binding or fusion when assayed with fresh cytosol. However, preincubation of membranes with GTP gamma S plus cytosol caused irreversible inhibition of fusion. The soluble factor mediating the inhibition by GTP gamma S, which we named GTP-dependent soluble factor (GSF), was titratable and was depleted from cytosol by incubation with excess membranes plus GTP gamma S, suggesting a stoichiometric interaction between GSF and a membrane component in the presence of GTP gamma S. In preliminary experiments, cytosol depleted of GSF remained active for fusion of chromatin-bound vesicles, suggesting that GSF may not be required for the fusion reaction itself. We propose that GTP hydrolysis is required at a step before the fusion of nuclear vesicles.     

Ran binds to chromatin by two distinct mechanisms

Ran GTPase plays important roles in nucleocytoplasmic transport in interphase and in both spindle formation and nuclear envelope (NE) assembly during mitosis. The latter functions rely on the presence of high local concentrations of GTP-bound Ran near mitotic chromatin. RanGTP localization has been proposed to result from the association of Ran's GDP/GTP exchange factor, RCC1, with chromatin, but Ran is shown here to bind directly to chromatin in two modes, either dependent or independent of RCC1, and, where bound, to increase the affinity of chromatin for NE membranes. We propose that the Ran binding capacity of chromatin contributes to localized spindle and NE assembly.     

RanGTPase激活蛋白RanGAP在嗜热四膜虫细胞中的定位及功能

RanGTPase激活蛋白（RanGTPase activating protein,RanGAP）和Ran相互作用,提高了Ran GTPase水解GTP的效率. RanGAP参与细胞内核质运输、纺锤体组装、核膜重建和异染色质的组装．生物进化过程中,不同生物的RanGAP表现出结构和功能的多样性．本研究从嗜热四膜虫大核基因组中鉴定出1个保守的RanGTPase激活蛋白基因RanGAP（TTHERM_00766430）．实时荧光定量PCR表明,RanGAP在四膜虫营养生长、饥饿和有性生殖过程中均有表达,且在有性生殖4～6 h表达水平最高．免疫荧光定位表明,在营养生长期、饥饿期及有性生殖的早期,RanGAP定位于细胞质中| 在有性生殖后期, RanGAP定位于凋亡的大核中．过表达RanGAP的细胞增殖速率下降,大核分裂和胞质缢缩异常, 产生无大核细胞．敲减RanGAP的细胞大核形态异常,细胞增殖速率下降,无丝分裂受到抑制,进而产生无大核细胞．RanGAP的过表达或敲除分别引起四膜虫RAN1,RanBP1和RCC1基因的表达下调或上调．结果表明,RanGAP通过Ran信号通路调控了嗜热四膜虫无性生殖过程中大核的无丝分裂,并可能参与了有性生殖过程中亲本大核的凋亡．     

The ran GTPase regulates mitotic spindle assembly.

Ran is an abundant nuclear GTPase with a clear role in nuclear transport during interphase but with roles in mitotic regulation that are less well understood. The nucleotide-binding state of Ran is regulated by a GTPase activating protein, RanGAP1, and by a guanine nucleotide exchange factor, RCC1. Ran also interacts with a guanine nucleotide dissociation inhibitor, RanBP1. RanBP1 has a high affinity for GTP-bound Ran, and it acts as a cofactor for RanGAP1, increasing the rate of GAP-mediated GTP hydrolysis on Ran approximately tenfold. RanBP1 levels oscillate during the cell cycle [4], and increased concentrations of RanBP1 prolong mitosis in mammalian cells and in Xenopus egg extracts (our unpublished observations). We investigated how increased concentrations of RanBP1 disturb mitosis. We found that spindle assembly is dramatically disrupted when exogenous RanBP1 is added to M phase Xenopus egg extracts. We present evidence that the role of Ran in spindle assembly is independent of nuclear transport and is probably mediated through changes in microtubule dynamics.     

Importin-�� Is a GDP-to-GTP Exchange Factor of Ran: IMPLICATIONS FOR THE MECHANISM OF NUCLEAR IMPORT*

Ran-GTP interacts strongly with importin-β, and this interaction promotes the release of the importin-α-nuclear localization signal cargo from importin-β. Ran-GDP also interacts with importin-β, but this interaction is 4 orders of magnitude weaker than the Ran-GTP·importin-β interaction. Here we use the yeast complement of nuclear import proteins to show that the interaction between Ran-GDP and importin-β promotes the dissociation of GDP from Ran. The release of GDP from the Ran-GDP-importin-β complex stabilizes the complex, which cannot be dissociated by importin-α. Although Ran has a higher affinity for GDP compared with GTP, Ran in complex with importin-β has a higher affinity for GTP. This feature is responsible for the generation of Ran-GTP from Ran-GDP by importin-β. Ran-binding protein-1 (RanBP1) activates this reaction by forming a trimeric complex with Ran-GDP and importin-β. Importin-α inhibits the GDP exchange reaction by sequestering importin-β, whereas RanBP1 restores the GDP nucleotide exchange by importin-β by forming a tetrameric complex with importin-β, Ran, and importin-α. The exchange is also inhibited by nuclear-transport factor-2 (NTF2). We suggest a mechanism for nuclear import, additional to the established RCC1 (Ran-guanine exchange factor)-dependent pathway that incorporates these results.Ran (Gsp1p in yeast) is a Ras-like GTPase that regulates diverse cellular processes, including nuclear transport, mitotic spindle assembly, and post-mitotic nuclear assembly (1, 2). Like other GTPases, Ran can bind GTP and GDP. Ran-GTP is generated in the nucleus by the guanine exchange factor RCC1 (regulator of chromosome condensation 1), which is associated with the chromatin (3). Ran-GDP is produced in the cytoplasm by the activation of the intrinsic GTPase activity of Ran by RanGAP1 (GTPase-activating protein) (4) and RanBP1 (Ran-binding protein-1, Yrb1p in yeast). The compartmentalization of RanGAP1 (cytoplasm) and RCC1 (nucleus) gives rise to the asymmetric distribution of Ran-GDP (cytoplasm) and Ran-GTP (nucleus) across the nuclear envelope. This asymmetric distribution of Ran-GDP and Ran-GTP plays a central role in nucleocytoplasmic transport by mediating assembly and disassembly of import and export complexes through interaction with the nuclear import machinery (for reviews, see Refs. 5–9).The passage of molecules into the nucleus occurs through the nuclear pore complexes (NPCs)⁶ (10). Nucleocytoplasmic transport is driven by a series of protein-protein interactions and involves several soluble carriers named β-karyopherins. Import carriers are called importins and export carriers are called exportins. The classical nuclear import pathway involves importin-β (Kap95p in yeast) and the adaptor protein importin-α (Kap60p in yeast). In the cytoplasm importin-β binds to importin-α. Their interaction triggers a conformational change of importin-α that increases its affinity for cargo proteins containing a nuclear localization signal (NLS) (11, 12). The translocation of the resulting complex (importin-β·importin-α·NLS) involves interactions with the NPC proteins (nucleoporins), particularly the FXFG-repeat domains (11). The protein cargo is released in the nucleus by the action of Ran-GTP, which induces the dissociation of importin-α from importin-β by forming a stable complex with importin-β. The importins are then recycled to the cytoplasm. Importin-β transfers to the cytoplasm associated with Ran-GTP, and importin-α is exported by CAS (exportin2; Cse1p in yeast) in the form of an importin-α·CAS·Ran-GTP complex (13). Importin-β and importin-α are released from their complexes in the cytoplasm by the combined action of RanBP1 and RanGAP1. Importin-β and importin-α are then able to function in a new cycle of transport, whereas Ran-GDP is transported into the nucleus by NTF2 (nuclear-transport factor-2, Ntf2p in yeast) (14). In the nucleus Ran-GDP is transformed to Ran-GTP by the action of RCC1 (3).The complexity of the nuclear import mechanism is highlighted by the fact that it involves the active participation of soluble factors other than Ran-GTP, importin-β, and importin-α. Indeed, Ran-GDP, RanBP1, and NTF2 have been shown to be involved in the docking and translocation events of nuclear import. Chi et al. (15) have demonstrated that Ran-GDP forms a stable complex with RanBP1 and importin-β; they suggested a role for Ran-GDP in the association of the importin-β·importin-α·NLS complex with the nuclear pore and speculated that the importin-β·importin-α·NLS·Ran-GDP·RanBP1 pentameric complex was the actual translocation complex that moved through the pore. This model has also been adopted by others (16–18) who have proposed that a stable Ran-GDP-containing complex was created on nucleoporin Nup358 (also called RanBP2) and that upon displacement of the importin-β·importin-α·Ran-GDP complex from the RBH (domain homologous to RanBP1) domains of Nup358 by RanBP1, binding of NTF2 triggered translocation to the nucleus. The role of NTF2 as the factor responsible for the translocation of the transport complex through the nuclear envelope has also been proposed by Paschal et al. (19). The role of Ran-GDP and RanBP1 in nuclear import has been demonstrated by a single mutation of a cysteine residue of importin-β; the mutation was required for binding Ran-GDP·RanBP1, but not Ran-GTP·RanBP1, and inhibited the nuclear import in permeabilized cells (20). The active role of RanBP1 in nuclear import has been further demonstrated by Künzler et al. (21), who showed that mutations in the Yrb1 gene encoding the yeast ortholog of RanBP1 impair nucleocytoplasmic transport.Despite considerable evidence for the involvement of Ran-GDP, RanBP1, and NTF2 in nuclear protein import, the precise mechanism by which these molecules regulate this process has been unknown. Here we characterize the interaction between Kap95p and Gsp1p-GDP. We show that this interaction results in GDP-to-GTP exchange on Gsp1p. Furthermore, we demonstrate that Gsp1p, Kap60p, Kap95p, Yrb1p, and Ntf2p interact to regulate the GDP-to-GTP exchange on Gsp1p. We suggest a mechanism of nuclear import additional to the RCC1-dependent pathway that incorporates our observations.     

Characterization of the nuclear protein import mechanism using Ran mutants with altered nucleotide binding specificities.

The small nuclear GTP binding protein Ran is required for transport of nuclear proteins through the nuclear pore complex (NPC). Although it is known that GTP hydrolysis by Ran is essential for this reaction, it has been unclear whether additional energy-consuming steps are also required. To uncouple the energy requirements for Ran from other nucleoside triphosphatases, we constructed a mutant derivative of Ran that has an altered nucleotide specificity from GTP to xanthosine 5' triphosphate. Using this Ran mutant, we demonstrate that nucleotide hydrolysis by Ran is sufficient to promote efficient nuclear protein import in vitro. Under these conditions, protein import could no longer be inhibited with non-hydrolysable nucleotide analogues, indicating that no Ran-independent energy-requiring steps are essential for the protein translocation reaction through the NPC. We further provide evidence that nuclear protein import requires Ran in the GDP form in the cytoplasm. This suggests that a coordinated exchange reaction from Ran-GDP to Ran-GTP at the pore is necessary for translocation into the nucleus.