Figure 7.

The role of Nup53 in NPC assembly. Schematic drawing of the postmitotic and interphasic modes of nuclear pore assembly focused on the membrane interacting function of Nup53. For the sake of clarity other membrane associated and integral proteins, including nucleoporins, participating in this process are omitted. Left pathway: after mitosis, outgrowing ER tubules (yellow) surround assembling NPCs providing negative/concave (red) and positive/convex (green) curvature which is stabilized by membrane binding Nup53 dimers (blue) for pore formation. Right pathway: in interphase, the intact nuclear envelope membranes (yellow) are deformed by the C-terminal membrane binding site of Nup53 introducing a convex membrane curvature for the approximation and following fusion of the two membranes leading to pore formation.