cells Review The Role of Protein Disorder in Nuclear Transport and in Its Subversion by Viruses Jacinta M. Wubben 1,2, Sarah C. Atkinson 1,2 and Natalie A. Borg 1,2,* 1 Chronic Infectious and Inflammatory Diseases Research, School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Bundoora, VIC 3083, Australia;
[email protected] (J.M.W.);
[email protected] (S.C.A.) 2 Infection and Immunity Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia * Correspondence:
[email protected] Received: 12 October 2020; Accepted: 8 December 2020; Published: 10 December 2020 Abstract: The transport of host proteins into and out of the nucleus is key to host function. However, nuclear transport is restricted by nuclear pores that perforate the nuclear envelope. Protein intrinsic disorder is an inherent feature of this selective transport barrier and is also a feature of the nuclear transport receptors that facilitate the active nuclear transport of cargo, and the nuclear transport signals on the cargo itself. Furthermore, intrinsic disorder is an inherent feature of viral proteins and viral strategies to disrupt host nucleocytoplasmic transport to benefit their replication. In this review, we highlight the role that intrinsic disorder plays in the nuclear transport of host and viral proteins. We also describe viral subversion mechanisms of the host nuclear transport machinery in which intrinsic disorder is a feature. Finally, we discuss nuclear import and export as therapeutic targets for viral infectious disease. Keywords: protein intrinsic disorder; nuclear transport receptors; nuclear export sequence; nuclear import sequence; nucleoporins; viral infection; nuclear import inhibitors; nuclear export inhibitors 1.