Traffic control at the nuclear pore.

The proper communication between organelles is essential for many aspects of eukaryotic life. The coordination of nuclear and cytoplasmic activities in particular is of pivotal importance and depends on transport in and out of the nucleus. The material which translocates through nuclear pores is diverse; it includes numerous proteins, RNAs and large ribonucleoprotein complexes like ribosomal subunits.

Oxidative stress inhibits nuclear protein export by multiple mechanisms that target FG nucleoporins and Crm1.

Nuclear transport of macromolecules is regulated by the physiological state of the cell and thus sensitive to stress. To define the molecular mechanisms that control nuclear export upon stress, cells were exposed to nonlethal concentrations of the oxidant diethyl maleate (DEM). These stress conditions inhibited chromosome region maintenance-1 (Crm1)-dependent nuclear export and increased the association between Crm1 and Ran.