HIV-1 capsids enter the FG phase of nuclear pores like a transport receptor.

HIV-1 infection requires nuclear entry of the viral genome. Previous evidence suggests that this entry proceeds through nuclear pore complexes (NPCs), with the 120 × 60 nm capsid squeezing through an approximately 60-nm-wide central channel and crossing the permeability barrier of the NPC. This barrier can be described as an FG phase that is assembled from cohesively interacting phenylalanine-glycine (FG) repeats and is selectively permeable to cargo captured by nuclear transport receptors (NTRs).