{
  "abstract": "Phe-Gly-rich nucleoporins (FG-Nups) within the nuclear pore complex (NPC) form a diffusion barrier that controls the exchange of macromolecules between the nucleus and cytoplasm. The behaviors of these intrinsically disordered FG-Nups are fundamental to the NPC function but remain difficult to probe within the dynamic, native nuclear pore. To bridge this knowledge gap, here we build expandable DNA-origami rings with tunable elasticity and study FG-Nups site-specifically tethered in such mechanically responsive NPC mimics. The elastic deformation of DNA rings, measured by single-particle TEM, reveals the type (attraction or repulsion) and strength of FG-Nup interactions that shape the collective morphology of these unstructured proteins. Analyzing homotypic interactions of five FG-Nup species finds diverse FG-Nup behaviors that can be classified as repulsive/extended (Nsp1), moderately cohesive/extended (Nup62, Nup153, and Nup214), and strongly cohesive/compact (Nup98). Furthermore, we examine how FG-Nups' primary sequence, O-glycosylation, grafting density, and binding to nuclear transport receptors (NTRs) impact their biophysical state. For example, O-GlcNAcylation reduced FG-Nup cohesiveness, switching Nup98 from a collapsed state to more extended conformations. Our work thus elucidates spatially confined Nup-Nup and Nup-NTR interactions within an NPC-like nanopore, suggests a previously underappreciated role of FG-Nups in modulating NPC dilation, and establishes a generalizable method for studying multivalent interactions among disordered proteins.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Yale University"
  ],
  "article_type": "New results",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 16,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "E. Cao"
    },
    {
      "name": "C. Maffeo"
    },
    {
      "name": "L. Beckert"
    },
    {
      "name": "L. Kapinos"
    },
    {
      "name": "R. J. Malonis"
    },
    {
      "name": "D. Son"
    },
    {
      "name": "K. Zhou"
    },
    {
      "name": "Z. Wang"
    },
    {
      "name": "Q. Feng"
    },
    {
      "name": "S. Chandra"
    },
    {
      "name": "Q. Shen"
    },
    {
      "name": "Y. Xiong"
    },
    {
      "name": "C. P. Lusk"
    },
    {
      "name": "R. Lim"
    },
    {
      "name": "A. Aksimentiev"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "C. Lin"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/0paarphfvbs21.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.64898/2026.09.22.753628",
  "fulltext_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.22.753628v1.full",
  "id": "0paarphfvbs21",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.22.753628v1",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-NC-ND",
  "licence_label": "CC BY-NC-ND",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "biorxiv",
      "biophysics"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "1312|Nuclear Structure and Function"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7214184742",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.22.753628v1.full.pdf",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-09-22",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/0paarphfvbs21.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:24:16Z",
      "native_id": "10.64898/2026.09.22.753628",
      "source": "biorxiv",
      "url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.22.753628v1"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biochemistry",
      "origin": "biorxiv:biophysics",
      "subfield": "biophysics"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Expandable DNA-origami rings as a nanomechanical platform for studying disordered nucleoporins",
  "title_text": "Expandable DNA-origami rings as a nanomechanical platform for studying disordered nucleoporins",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:24:16Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/0paarphfvbs21",
  "venue": "bioRxiv",
  "versions": []
}