Cell-cycle dependent regulatory mechanism of nuclear import and its physiological significance

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25440019
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Structural biochemistry
• Research Institution: Nagoya University
• Principal Investigator: Matsuura Yoshiyuki 名古屋大学, 理学(系)研究科(研究院), 准教授 (10402413)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 核輸送 / インポーティン / 細胞周期 / 核膜孔

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The protein phosphatase Cdc14p is an antagonist of mitotic cyclin-dependent kinases and is a key regulator of late mitotic events such as chromosome segregation, spindle disassembly, and cytokinesis in the budding yeast. It has been proposed that regulated nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of Cdc14p is important for exit from mitosis. We performed structural and functional characterization of the interactions between the karyopherin Kap121p (an essential nuclear import receptor in yeast) and the C-terminal region of Cdc14p. This study identified nuclear localization signals (NLSs) in the C-terminal region of Cdc14p, in which isoleucine and lysine residues play crucial roles in the interaction with Kap121p. Based on comparison with other Kap121p-specific nuclear import cargoes, we proposed “IK-NLS” as an appropriate term to refer to the Kap121p-specific NLS.

Free Research Field

構造生物学