Crystallographic analysis of the specific yet versatile recognition of distinct nuclear localization signals by karyopherin alpha.
Conti, E., Kuriyan, J.(2000) Structure 8: 329-338
- PubMed: 10745017 
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/s0969-2126(00)00107-6
- Primary Citation of Related Structures:  
1EE4, 1EE5 - PubMed Abstract: 
Karyopherin alpha (importin alpha) is an adaptor molecule that recognizes proteins containing nuclear localization signals (NLSs). The prototypical NLS that is able to bind to karyopherin alpha is that of the SV40 T antigen, and consists of a short positively charged sequence motif. Distinct classes of NLSs (monopartite and bipartite) have been identified that are only partly conserved with respect to one another but are nevertheless recognized by the same receptor.
Organizational Affiliation: 
Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The Rockefeller University, New York 10021, USA. conti@embl-heidelberg.de