Dissection of a nuclear localization signal

The regulated process of protein import into the nucleus of a eukaryotic cell is mediated by specific nuclear localization signals (NLSs) that are recognized by protein import receptors. This study seeks to decipher the energetic details of NLS recognition by the receptor importin alpha through quantitative analysis of variant NLSs. The relative importance of each residue in two monopartite NLS sequences was determined using an alanine scanning approach. These measurements yield an energetic definition of a monopartite NLS sequence where a required lysine residue is followed by two other basic residues in the sequence K(K/R)X(K/R). In addition, the energetic contributions of the second basic cluster in a bipartite NLS (similar to3 kcal/mol) as well as the energy of inhibition of the importin cu importin beta -binding domain (similar to3 kcal/mol) were also measured. These data allow the generation of an energetic scale of nuclear localization sequences based on a peptide's affinity for the importin alpha -importin beta complex. On this scale, a functional NLS has a binding constant of similar to 10 nra, whereas a nonfunctional NLS has a 100-fold weaker affinity of 1 muM. Further correlation between the current in vitro data and in vivo function will provide the foundation for a comprehensive quantitative model of protein import.