Origin of the nuclear proteome on the basis of pre-existing nuclear localization signals in prokaryotic proteins

Abstract

The origin of the selective nuclear protein import machinery, which consists of nuclear pore complexes and adaptor molecules interacting with the nuclear localization signals (NLSs) of cargo molecules, was one of the most important events in the evolution of the eukaryotic cell. How the proteins were selected for import into the forming nuclei remains an open question. Here, we demonstrate that functional NLSs may be integrated inside nucleotide-binding domains of both eukaryotic and prokaryotic proteins and may co-evolve with these domains. We propose that the pre-existence of NLSs inside prokaryotic proteins dictated, at least partially, the nuclear proteome composition.