Messenger RNA transport across the nuclear pore complex

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Transport of macromolecules between the nucleus and the cytoplasm is an essential cellular process in all eukaryotes. The maintenance and decoding of the eukaryotic genome, and the dynamic state of the eukaryotic transcriptome and proteome relies on the compartmentalization and exchange of a large number of proteins and RNAs across the nuclear envelope. Furthermore, it is well documented that the regulation of nucleocytoplasmic transport provides an important mechanism by which signal transduction pathways and developmental stimuli control differential gene expression in eukaryotes. In addition, many viruses target components of the cellular nuclear transport machinery, and exploit or modify them to promote viral propagation. Therefore, a better understanding of the molecular machinery that mediates nucleocytoplasmic transport is essential both for understanding fundamental cellular processes and the development of novel anti-viral therapies. Despite the critical importance of messenger RNA (mRNA) export for eukaryotic gene expression, many aspects of the packaging, processing, and transport of mRNA-containing ribonucleoprotein particles (RNPs) from the nucleus have not yet been elucidated. The long-term objective of the research program described in this proposal is to understand the molecular pathway by which mRNAs are targeted to and translocated across the nuclear envelope. Export of mRNA appears to be mediated by multiple soluble protein factors that specifically bind to mRNA in the nucleus but release their cargo in the cytoplasm upon translocation through the nuclear pore complex. This spatial regulation of cargo binding and release is important for the transport of mRNAs but remains poorly understood at the mechanistic level. Moreover, evidence obtained in our laboratory and others indicates an important role for soluble, inositol polyphosphates in mRNA export, but the target(s) of these effectors have not been identified. Thus, we specifically propose: (1) to characterize the role of the major poly (A)-binding protein Pabl in mRNA maturation and export; (2) to identify the function and the targets of soluble inositol polyphosphates in mRNA export; and, (3) to trap, isolate, and characterize intermediates of the mRNA export pathway and to determine how mRNA export complexes are disassembled in the cytoplasm. The proposed experiments take advantage of the proteomic and genomic tools available in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and employ a combination of innovative biochemical, genetic and cell biological approaches to address these three specific aims. Because mRNA transport is a highly conserved process, the mechanistic insights obtained from these studies will be directly relevant to all eukaryotes, including humans.