c Nuclear-cytoplasmic transport through nuclear pore complexes is mediated by nuclear transport receptors. Previous reports have suggested that aberrant nuclear-cytoplasmic transport due to mutations or overexpression of nuclear pore complexes and nuclear transport receptors is closely linked to diseases. Nup214, a component of nuclear pore complexes, has been found as chimeric fusion proteins in leukemia. Among various Nup214 fusion proteins, SET-Nup214 and DEKNup214 have been shown to be engaged in tumorigenesis, but their oncogenic mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we examined the functions of the Nup214 fusion proteins by focusing on their effects on nuclear-cytoplasmic transport. We found that SET-Nup214 and DEK-Nup214 interact with exportin-1 (XPO1)/CRM1 and nuclear RNA export factor 1 (NXF1)/TAP, which mediate leucine-rich nuclear export signal (NES)-dependent protein export and mRNA export, respectively. SET-Nup214 and DEK-Nup214 decreased the XPO1-mediated nuclear export of NES proteins such as cyclin B and proteins involved in the NF-B signaling pathway by tethering XPO1 onto nuclear dots where Nup214 fusion proteins are localized. We also demonstrated that SET-Nup214 and DEK-Nup214 expression inhibited NF-B-mediated transcription by abnormal tethering of the complex containing p65 and its inhibitor, IB, in the nucleus. These results suggest that SETNup214 and DEK-Nup214 perturb the regulation of gene expression through alteration of the nuclear-cytoplasmic transport system.
Biological macromolecules are transported between the nucleus and the cytoplasm in response to extracellular signals. Transport of molecules with a molecular mass greater than 40 kDa does not occur by simple diffusion but is generally facilitated by nuclear transport receptors (NTRs) through nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) embedded in the nuclear envelope (1-3). Controlled nuclear-cytoplasmic transport plays important roles in maintaining cellular integrity in eukaryotic cells. It is reported that aberrant subcellular localization of some proteins is associated with various cancer cases (4). p53 has nuclear localization signals (NLSs) and nuclear export signals (NESs), and the accumulation of p53 in the cytoplasm has been reported to be a prognostic indicator in cancer (5). The nuclear factor B (NF-B) transcription factor is observed mainly in the cytoplasm in normal cells, whereas in many cancer cells, it is localized largely in the nucleus (6).In addition to aberrant subcellular localization of proteins in cancer, mutations of genes encoding NTRs and NPC components are found in various types of cancer (7). Mutations of exportin-5 (XPO5) and exportin-1 (XPO1)/CRM1, members of export receptors (8-10), are found in solid cancer and leukemia, respectively. Four nucleoporins-Nup98, Nup214/CAN, Nup358/ RanBP2, and Tpr-have been reported to form chimeric proteins by chromosomal translocations mainly in leukemia (11-15). Nup214, located at the cytoplasmic filament of the NPC, interacts with NTRs to control macromolecular transport....