The nuclear pore complex protein plays a role in bidirectional transport across the nucleoporin complex in nucleocytoplasmic transport. The mammalian nuclear pore complex (NPC) is comprised of approximately 30 unique proteins, collectively known as nucleoporins [2]. This family includes yeast family members such as Nup145p as well as vertebrate Nup98. The NUP C-terminal domains of Nup98 and Nup145 possess peptidase S59 autoproteolytic activity. The autoproteolytic sites of Nup98 and Nup145 each occur immediately C-terminal to the NUP C-terminal domain. Thus, although this domain occurs in the middle of each precursor polypeptide, it winds up at the C-terminal end of the N-terminal cleavage product. Cleavage of the peptide chains are necessary for the proper targeting to the nuclear pore [3].

1: The three-dimensional structure of the autoproteolytic, nuclear pore-targeting domain of the human nucleoporin Nup98. Hodel AE, Hodel MR, Griffis ER, Hennig KA, Ratner GA, Xu S, Powers MA; Mol Cell 2002;10:347-358. PMID:12191480

2: Human Nup98 regulates the localization and activity of DExH/D-box helicase DHX9. Capitanio JS, Montpetit B, Wozniak RW; Elife. 2017; [Epub ahead of print] PMID:28221134

3: Multiple conformations in the ligand-binding site of the yeast nuclear pore-targeting domain of Nup116p. Robinson MA, Park S, Sun ZY, Silver PA, Wagner G, Hogle JM; J Biol Chem. 2005;280:35723-35732. PMID:16105837