How STAT3 Moves into the Nucleus
Author Information
Author(s): Cimica Velasco, Chen Hui-Chen, Iyer Janaki K., Reich Nancy C.
Primary Institution: Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, United States of America
Hypothesis
The study investigates the molecular mechanisms by which STAT3 is imported to the nucleus.
Conclusion
The study defines importin-α/importin-β1/Ran as the molecular mechanism by which STAT3 traffics to the nucleus.
Supporting Evidence
- STAT3 must gain entrance to the nucleus to impact transcription, and access to the nucleus is a tightly regulated process.
- Live cell imaging captures STAT3-GFP localization in the nucleus independent of tyrosine phosphorylation.
- Results indicate STAT3 nuclear import is dependent on the function of importin-β1.
- Expression of a GTPase deficient mutant of Ran inhibited STAT3 nuclear import.
Takeaway
STAT3 is a protein that helps control how cells grow and respond to signals, and this study shows how it gets into the nucleus of cells to do its job.
Methodology
Live cell imaging techniques were used with STAT3 tagged with green fluorescence protein to follow the cellular dynamics of both unphosphorylated and tyrosine phosphorylated forms.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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