Figure 5. Schematic model of the NPC architecture and gating.

The scaffold of the NPC is depicted in cyan and the NE in dark grey. The NPR and linker structures between the ring moieties are illustrated in light grey. FG domains at the NPR construct a repulsive entropic barrier (blue wavy lines), which collapses on interaction with cargo–receptor complexes (depicted as green and purple circles, respectively). The selective phase within the central pore (red wavy lines) exhibits an ordered architecture that is structurally altered during transport.