Nuclear pore complex protein Nup160

Nuclear pore complex protein Nup160 (NUP160) is a 162 kDa component of the nuclear pore complex (NPC) involved in poly(A)+ RNA transport (UniProt: Q12769). As a structural and functional element of the NPC, it mediates nucleocytoplasmic transport of mRNA and other cargo molecules. The protein is primarily known in clinical context as a gene mutated in nephrotic syndrome 19 (NPHS19), an autosomal recessive steroid-resistant renal disease (UniProt: Q12769).

In Alzheimer's disease research, NUP160 shows increased expression in post-mortem AD brain tissue compared to age-matched controls (Chaparral AD proteomics). Quantitative proteomics analysis detected a mean log2 fold-change of +0.25 across subcellular fractions in human brain homogenates, indicating modest upregulation. This elevation may reflect compensatory responses or alterations in nucleocytoplasmic transport capacity associated with AD pathology, though the functional significance remains to be determined.