The nuclear pore complex encloses a central channel for nucleocytoplasmic transport, which is thought to consist of three nucleoporins, Nup54, Nup58, and Nup62. However, the structure and composition of the channel are elusive. We determined the crystal structures of the interacting domains between these nucleoporins and pieced together the molecular architecture of the mammalian transport channel. Located in the channel midplane is a flexible Nup54⋅Nup58 ring that can undergo large rearrangements yielding diameter changes from ∼20 to ∼40 nm. Nup62⋅Nup54 triple helices project alternately up and down from either side of the midplane ring and form nucleoplasmic and cytoplasmic entries. The channel consists of as many as 224 copies of the three nucleoporins, amounting to a molar mass of 12.3 MDa and contributing 256 phenylalanine-glycine repeat regions. We propose that the occupancy of these repeat regions with transport receptors modulates ring diameter and transport activity.

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An alkyl hydroperoxidase (AhpC) has been found frequently to be overexpressed in isoniazid-resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. These strains have an inactivated katG gene encoding a catalase peroxidase, which might render mycobacteria susceptible to the toxic peroxide radicals, thus leading to the concomitant overexpression of the AhpC. Although the overexpressed AhpC in isoniazid-resistant strains of M. tuberculosis may not directly participate in isoniazid action, AhpC might still assist M. tuberculosis in combating oxidative damage in the absence of the catalase. Here we have attempted to characterize the AhpC protein biochemically and report its functional and oligomerization properties. The alkyl hydroperoxidase of M. tuberculosis is unique in many ways compared with its well-characterized homologues from enteric bacteria. We show that AhpC is a decameric protein, composed of five identical dimers held together by ionic interactions. Dimerization of individual subunits takes place through an intersubunit disulphide linkage. The ionic interactions play a significant role in enzymic activity of the AhpC protein. The UV absorption spectrum and three-dimensional model of AhpC suggest that interesting conformational changes may take place during oxidation and reduction of the intersubunit disulphide linkage. In the absence of the partner AhpF subunit in M. tuberculosis, the mycobacterial AhpC might use small-molecule reagents, such as mycothiol, for completing its enzymic cycle.