Nanoscale stiffness topography reveals structure and mechanics of the transport barrier in intact nuclear pore complexes.

ABSTRACT: The nuclear pore complex (NPC) is the gate for transport between the cell nucleus and the cytoplasm. Small molecules cross the NPC by passive diffusion, but molecules larger than ∼5 nm must bind to nuclear transport receptors to overcome a selective barrier within the NPC. Although the structure and shape of the cytoplasmic ring of the NPC are relatively well characterized, the selective barrier is situated deep within the central channel of the NPC and depends critically on unstructured nuclear pore proteins, and is therefore not well understood. Here, we show that stiffness topography with sharp atomic force microscopy tips can generate nanoscale cross-sections of the NPC. The cross-sections reveal two distinct structures, a cytoplasmic ring and a central plug structure, which are consis

SUBMITTER: Bestembayeva A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4286247 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature