Importin-4 (IPO4)

Importin-4 is a member of the karyopherin/importin-β family of nuclear transport receptors, encoded by the *IPO4* gene. It recognizes nuclear localization signals (NLS) on cargo proteins, binds them in the cytoplasm, and assists their transport through the nuclear pore complex by interacting with nucleoporins. The translocation process is energy-dependent and regulated by the Ran GTPase system, which specifies the directionality of import. Importin-4 plays key roles in protein import into the nucleus, chromatin assembly, and intracellular transport, and is implicated in disease contexts such as certain cancers and congenital anemias.

Other names

Importin-4IPO4Imp4IMP4BRANBP4importin-4bFLJ23338Importin-4bRan-binding protein 4IPO4phIPO4H0YK93H0YKG5

No FDA-approved drugs with defined mechanisms of action against Importin-4; theoretically, inhibitors would block nuclear import of cargo proteins by disrupting NLS recognition, substrate binding, or import complex translocation.