Mechanisms Of Selective Transport Through Nuclear Pore Complex Mimics

Few cellular processes require such intricate active control as transport through the nuclear envelope. The nuclear pore complex facilitates transport, preventing most macromolecules from crossing the envelope while allowing the passage of transport factors and their cargo. While the basic biochemical interactions of transport are well-understood, the detailed mechanism remains a topic of significant debate. We developed a theoretical framework to test models of selective transport. The results suggest that the flexible nature of the disordered FG Nups that line the nuclear pore in vivo and the transient, multivalent nature of FG Nup – transport factor interactions are together sufficient for selectivity. In order to test our model predictions, we created tunable hydrogel mimics of the nuclear pore selective barrier and aim to use the model to tune the mimic's parameters to maximize selectivity.