Carrier-Independent Nuclear Import of the Transcription Factor PU.1.

PU.1 is a transcription factor of the Ets family with important functions in hematopoietic cell differentiation. Using GFP-PU.1 fusions, we show that the Ets DNA-binding domain of PU.1 is necessary and sufficient for its nuclear localization. Fluorescence and ultrastructural nuclear import assays showed that PU.1 nuclear import requires energy but not soluble carriers. PU.1 interacted with the FG repeats of nucleoporins Nup62 and Nup153. The binding of PU.1 to Nup153, but not to Nup62, dramatically increased in the presence of RanGMPPNP, indicating the formation of a PU.1/RanGTP/Nup153 complex. The Ets domain accounted for the bulk of the interaction of PU.1 with Nup153 and RanGMPPNP. Since Nup62 is located close to the midplane of the nuclear pore complex (NPC) while Nup153 is at its nuclear side, these findings suggest a model whereby RanGTP propels PU.1 towards the nuclear side of the NPC by increasing its affinity for Nup153. This notion was confirmed by ultrastructural studies using gold-labeled PU.1 in permeabilized cells.