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Regulation of nuclear import is fundamental to eukaryotic biology. The majority of nuclear import pathways are mediated by importin-cargo interactions. Yet not all nuclear proteins interact with importins, necessitating the identification of a general importin-independent nuclear import pathway. Here, we identify a code that determines importin-independent nuclear import of ankyrin repeats (ARs), a structural motif found in over 250 human proteins with diverse functions. AR-containing proteins (ARPs) with a hydrophobic residue at the 13th position of two consecutive ARs bind RanGDP efficiently, and consequently enter the nucleus. This code, experimentally tested in 17 ARPs, predicts the nuclear-cytoplasmic localization of over 150 annotated human ARPs with high accuracy and is acquired by the most common familial melanoma-associated CDKN2A mutation, leading to nuclear accumulation of mutant p16ink4a. The RaDAR (RanGDP/AR) pathway represents a general importin-independent nuclear import pathway and is frequently used by AR-containing transcriptional regulators, especially those regulating NF-κB/p53.

Original publication

DOI

10.1016/j.cell.2014.05.006

Type

Journal article

Journal

Cell

Publication Date

22/05/2014

Volume

157

Pages

1130 - 1145

Keywords

Active Transport, Cell Nucleus, Ankyrin Repeat, Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p16, Humans, Models, Molecular, Multiprotein Complexes, Protein Transport, Proteins, ran GTP-Binding Protein