The nuclear pore complex is a multi-subunit protein channel that spans the nuclear envelope and is responsible for the nucleocytoplasmic trafficking of RNA, proteins, and ribonucleoproteins. Nucleoporin p62 is a ubiquitously-expressed 62 kDa protein that is an essential component of the NPC. NUP62 expression is increased in aggressive, lethal prostate cancer, and knockdown of NUP62 expression reduces cancer cell proliferation and colony formation in soft agar. NUP62 is also highly expressed in squamous cell carcinomas, and depletion of NUP62 in SCC cells results in reduced proliferation and enhanced differentiation via regulation of p63 nucleo-cytoplasmic transport. Interestingly, NUP62 also plays a role in mitotic cell cycle progression after disassembly of the nuclear envelope and NPCs. Indeed, knockdown of NUP62 induces G2/M phase arrest, mitotic cell death, and abnormal centrosome assembly. A missense mutation of Q391P in NUP62 is believed to cause infantile bilateral striatal necrosis, a rare and fatal autosomal recessive disease.
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