A yeast protein that bidirectionally affects nucleocytoplasmic transport

We have identified a temperature-sensitive mutant of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (npl3) that accumulates polyadenylated RNA in the nucleus at 37 degrees C, as judged by in situ hybridization. The strong nuclear signal is not simply due to increased cytoplasmic turnover of mRNA, as reincubation at 37 degrees C with an RNA polymerase inhibitor shows no diminution in the in situ signal. Over several hours at 37 degrees C, the average poly(A) tail length increases and a characteristic ultrastructural alteration of the nucleoplasm occurs. Cloning and sequencing indicate that the corresponding gene is NPL3/NOP3, which codes for a nucleolar/nuclear protein implicated in protein import into the nucleus (Bossie et al. (1992). Mol. Biol. Cell 3, 875-893) and in rRNA maturation (Russell and Tollervey (1992). J. Cell Biol. 119, 737-747). NPL3 includes bipartite RNA recognition motifs (RRM) and a Gly-Arg repeat domain, as in several nucleolar proteins. A point mutation adjacent to one of the RRM has been identified in the ts copy of the gene. Although this protein is not concentrated in nuclear pores, NPL3 is implicated in both import and export from the nucleus. Judging from the site of the npl3 mutation and since the block in RNA export can be detected prior to an obvious nuclear import defect in npl3, the defect in RNA export may be primary. Since other mutants that interrupt RNA export do not block protein import, the NPL3 protein itself appears to be implicated in protein import.