Letter abstract


Nature Cell Biology 9, 788 - 796 (2007)
Published online: 3 June 2007 | doi:10.1038/ncb1604

Molecular basis for the functional interaction of dynein light chain with the nuclear-pore complex

Philipp Stelter1, Ruth Kunze1, Dirk Flemming1, Dominic Höpfner2, Meikel Diepholz3, Peter Philippsen2, Bettina Böttcher3 & Ed Hurt1

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Nucleocytoplasmic transport occurs through nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) embedded in the nuclear envelope1. Here, we discovered an unexpected role for yeast dynein light chain (Dyn2)2 in the NPC. Dyn2 is a previously undescribed nucleoporin that functions as molecular glue to dimerize and stabilize the Nup82–Nsp1–Nup159 complex, a module of the cytoplasmic pore filaments3. Biochemical analyses showed that Dyn2 binds to a linear motif (termed DIDNup159) inserted between the Phe-Gly repeat and coiled-coil domain of Nup159. Electron microscopy revealed that the reconstituted Dyn2–DIDNup159 complex forms a rigid rod-like structure, in which five Dyn2 homodimers align like 'pearls on a string' between two extented DIDNup159 strands. These findings imply that the rigid 20 nm long Dyn2–DIDNup159 filament projects the Nup159 Phe-Gly repeats from the Nup82 module. Thus, it is possible that dynein light chain plays a role in organizing natively unfolded Phe-Gly repeats within the NPC scaffold to facilitate nucleocytoplasmic transport.

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  1. Biochemie-Zentrum der Universität Heidelberg (BZH), Im Neuenheimer Feld 328, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
  2. Biozentrum, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 50/70, 4056 Basel, Switzerland.
  3. EMBL, Meyerhofstrase 1, D-69117 Heidelberg, Germany.

Correspondence to: Ed Hurt1 e-mail: ed.hurt@bzh.uni-heidelberg.de



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