Nuclear transport is the movement of material into and out of the nucleus. This can happen via simple diffusion for small particles, or active transport for larger proteins. The transport of larger materials occurs with the help of transport receptors: importins for nuclear import and exportins for nuclear export. Inside the nucleus, Ran-GTP binds to the receptors, releasing the cargo from the importins and changing the confirmation of the exportins to allow cargo to bind to the complex and travel through the nuclear pore complex out into the cytoplasm. Ran-GTP must also assist in moving the empty importin back into the cytoplasm, where it can bind with another piece of cargo and start the process over. Ran-GTP is not able to freely move through the nuclear pore complex, however, so it must be hydrolyzed before it can pass back into the nucleus. Once it is inside the nucleus, it is phosphorylated by a guanine nucleotide exchange factor and can continue in its role of facilitating nuclear transport.
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