Aiming for the basket

The nuclear pore basket is a conical, net-like structure that is attached to the main body of the nuclear pore complex. The basket is crucial for the transport of macromolecules between the cell nucleus and the cytoplasm, while it also regulates many aspects of gene expression. The Lab of Alwin Köhler has, for the first time, managed to reconstitute key parts of the basket on synthetic membranes. Their study, published in Science Advances, provides new insights into the intricate assembly principles of this important structure, helping to explain how it achieves the flexibility necessary for the transport of large cargo.