Ran (source code)
= Ran
{c}
<Ran> is a <small GTPase> involved in transport through the <nuclear pore complex> and in organization of <microtubules>. It switches between <GDP>- and <GTP>-bound states. The spatial organization of its regulators makes its <nucleotide> state informative about location, rather than simply reporting the total amount of the <protein>. <NCBI Gene by the National Library of Medicine>[Human RAN, Gene ID 5901, Summary: nuclear transport, RCC1 and microtubule organization]{ref}
In nuclear import, a high nuclear Ran-GTP activity promotes release of cargo from transport <receptors>, while the cytosolic side supports recycling through a different <nucleotide> state. This directional cycle depends on separated regulator activities and a supply of chemical energy. Equalizing all conditions on both sides would remove the same spatial cue even if the total <Ran> abundance stayed fixed. <Molecular Biology of the Cell, 4th edition by Bruce Alberts and others>[Chapter 12, The Transport of Molecules between the Nucleus and the Cytosol: the Ran GTPase cycle]{ref}
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