Nuclear transport factor directs localization of protein synthesis during mitosis

Export of messenger RNA from the transcription site in the nucleus and mRNA targeting to the translation site in the cytoplasm are key regulatory processes in protein synthesis. In yeast, the mRNA-binding proteins Nab2p and Nab4p/Hrp1p accompany transcripts to their translation site, where the karyopherin Kap104p mediates both their dissociation from the mRNA and their transport back into the nucleus. We found that Kap104p localized to the distal bud tip and the bud neck during cell division, resulting in a localized release of translation-competent mRNA and increased protein synthesis in the emerging daughter cell. Temporally and spatially coordinated localization of Kap104p is a new mechanism for the asymmetric distribution of protein synthesis in dividing cells.