The maximal size of protein to diffuse through the nuclear pore is larger than 60 kDa

It has generally been believed that the diffusion limit set by the nuclear pore for protein is 60 kDa. We here studied the cellular localization of several artificial proteins and found that the diffusion limit set by the nuclear pore is not as small as previously thought. The results indicate that the maximal size of protein to diffuse through the nuclear pore complex could be quite larger than 60 kDa, thus greatly extending the diffusion limit that the nuclear pore can accommodate. (C) 2007 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.