Moving into the nucleus Flashcards
What separates eukaryotes and prokaryotes?
Ability of a cell to compartmentalise distinct processes within organelles
What is a eukaryotic cell?
A cell with distinct membrane bound nucleus and other organelles enclosed in a membrane
What is the purpose of membrane bound compartments?
Modulate interactions between proteins
Allow regulation of the local environment
Provides a distinct environment
Provides a level of control
What are the 3 main exchange mechanisms?
Gated transport
Transmembrane transport
Vesciular transport
What is gated transport?
Occurs through pore complexes
What is transmembrane transport?
Involves direct passage across intact membranes
What is vesicular transport?
Does not involve passage across membranes
What can be caused by mislocalised proteins?
Associated with human diseases such as swyers syndrome
What is Swyer Syndrome?
Mutation in SRY gene resulting in gonads failing to differentiate into testes. Therefore they are genetically male but with external female sex organs
Caused by mutation in SRY gene responsible for a localisation of a protein into the nucleus
What is the structure of the nuclear envelope?
Phospholipid bilayer
Outer membrane continuous with the ER
Inner membrane has underlying filaments called nuclear lamina
What is the nuclear pore complex?
Largest protein complex in the cell
3000 NPCs per nucleus
What does the nuclear pore complex do?
Allows the free movement of small molecules and selective transport of larger proteins (acts as a molecular sieve)
What happens to the NPC during mitosis?
NPCs are dismantled and then reassembled during and after mitosis
What is the structure of the nuclear pore complex?
Comprises of 500 subunits of 30 individual proteins
8 fold symmetric structure
Centre structure encases the transport channel and functions as the sieve
Peripheral structure connects the NPC to the local environment
What are Nups?
Nucleoporins
What are the different classes of Nups?
Transmembrane ring Nups
Core scaffold Nups
FG Nups
Linker Nups
What do the transmembrane ring and Core scaffold Nups do?
Anchor into the nucleus envelope
Anchor the NPC into the membrane
What do the FG Nups do?
Line the channel
Unstructured Nups which form a hydrogel that functions as a sieve.