Mechanism of mRNA Transport in the Nucleus

The mechanism of transport of mRNA-protein (mRNP) complexes from transcription sites to nuclear pores has been the subject of many studies. Using molecular beacons to track single mRNA molecules in living cells, we have characterized the diffusion of mRNP complexes in the nucleus. The mRNP complexes...

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Published inProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS Vol. 102; no. 47; pp. 17008 - 17013
Main Authors Diana Y. Vargas, Arjun Raj, Salvatore A. E. Marras, Kramer, Fred Russell, Tyagi, Sanjay
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States National Academy of Sciences 22.11.2005
National Acad Sciences
Subjects
Active Transport, Cell Nucleus
Adenosine Triphosphate - metabolism
Animals
Beacons
Biological Sciences
Cell lines
Cell Nucleus - metabolism
Cellular biology
CHO Cells
Chromatin
Cold Temperature
Cricetinae
Cricetulus
Diffusion
Fluorescence
Gene expression
Genes, Reporter
Messenger RNA
Molecules
Particle diffusion
Particle intensity
Proteins
Ribonucleic acid
Ribonucleoproteins - metabolism
RNA
RNA, Messenger - metabolism
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Summary:The mechanism of transport of mRNA-protein (mRNP) complexes from transcription sites to nuclear pores has been the subject of many studies. Using molecular beacons to track single mRNA molecules in living cells, we have characterized the diffusion of mRNP complexes in the nucleus. The mRNP complexes move freely by Brownian diffusion at a rate that assures their dispersion throughout the nucleus before they exit into the cytoplasm, even when the transcription site is located near the nuclear periphery. The diffusion of mRNP complexes is restricted to the extranucleolar, interchromatin spaces. When mRNP complexes wander into dense chromatin, they tend to become stalled. Although the movement of mRNP complexes occurs without the expenditure of metabolic energy, ATP is required for the complexes to resume their motion after they become stalled. This finding provides an explanation for a number of observations in which mRNA transport appeared to be an enzymatically facilitated process.
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Edited by Joseph G. Gall, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Baltimore, MD
Abbreviations: mRNP, mRNA-protein; MSD, mean square displacement.
Conflict of interest statement: No conflicts declared.
This paper was submitted directly (Track II) to the PNAS office.
Author contributions: F.R.K. and S.T. designed research; D.Y.V., A.R., S.A.E.M., and S.T. performed research; S.A.E.M. contributed new reagents/analytic tools; A.R., F.R.K., and S.T. analyzed data; and S.T. wrote the paper.
To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: sanjay@phri.org.
ISSN:0027-8424
1091-6490
DOI:10.1073/pnas.0505580102