Atomic Structure of the Y-Complex of the Nuclear Pore

The nuclear pore complex (NPC) is the principal gateway for transport into and out of the nucleus. Selectivity is achieved through the hydrogel-like core of the NPC. The structural integrity of the NPC depends on ~15 architectural proteins, which are organized in distinct subcomplexes to form the >40 MDa ring-like structure. Here we present the 4.1 Å crystal structure of a heterotetrameric core element (‘hub’) of the Y-complex, the essential NPC building block, from Myceliophthora thermophila. Using the ‘hub’ structure together with known Y-complex fragments we built the entire ~0.5 MDa Y-complex. Our data reveal that the conserved core of the Y-complex has 6, rather than 7 members. Evolutionarily distant Y-complex assemblies share a conserved core that is very similar in shape and dimension, suggesting that there are closely related architectural codes for constructing the NPC in all eukaryotes.