Importin-7

Importin-7 (IPO7) is a nuclear transport receptor that mediates the import of cargo proteins into the nucleus through an autonomous or adapter-dependent mechanism. It recognizes nuclear localization signals on substrates and facilitates their translocation across the nuclear pore complex in a Ran-GTP-dependent manner (UniProt: O95373). The protein functions broadly in nuclear import of diverse cargo including ribosomal proteins, histones, and transcription factors, and has specialized roles in regulating odontoblast and osteoblast differentiation through selective nuclear import of key regulatory proteins.

Importin-7 is expressed across tissues and plays important roles in bone and tooth development, as well as in viral infection mechanisms such as HIV-1 nuclear import (UniProt: O95373). The UniProt record contains no primary disease associations, though its function in nuclear transport implicates it in processes relevant to neuronal homeostasis.

In Alzheimer's disease, Importin-7 shows ambiguous regulation across subcellular fractions in post-mortem AD brain relative to age-matched controls, with a mean log2 fold-change of −0.0364 across two fractions measured by quantitative proteomics (Chaparral AD proteomics). This minimal change suggests Importin-7 is not substantially altered in AD brain overall, though its role in nuclear protein trafficking warrants continued investigation in neurodegenerative contexts.