<table class="infobox infobox-gene">
<tr>
<th class="infobox-header" colspan="2">ran</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">State</td>
<td>Nucleotide</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">RAN-GTP</td>
<td>GTP</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">RAN-GDP</td>
<td>GDP</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Transition</td>
<td>None</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Protein</td>
<td>Role</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">RCC1</td>
<td>GEF ( chromatin)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">RANBP1</td>
<td>GAP</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">RANBP2/NUP358</td>
<td>Co-factor</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">NUTF2</td>
<td>Transport factor</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Mechanism</td>
<td>Effect</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Reduced RCC1</td>
<td>Less RAN-GTP</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Altered NUPs</td>
<td>NPC dysfunction</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Aggregate sequestration</td>
<td>TDP-43 mislocalization</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Stress granule accumulation</td>
<td>mRNA processing defects</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">NUP</td>
<td>Interaction Type</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">NUP358/RANBP2</td>
<td>Binding</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">NUP214</td>
<td>Binding</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">NUP153</td>
<td>Binding</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">NUP62</td>
<td>Binding</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">NUP
<table class="infobox infobox-gene">
<tr>
<th class="infobox-header" colspan="2">ran</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">State</td>
<td>Nucleotide</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">RAN-GTP</td>
<td>GTP</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">RAN-GDP</td>
<td>GDP</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Transition</td>
<td>None</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Protein</td>
<td>Role</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">RCC1</td>
<td>GEF ( chromatin)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">RANBP1</td>
<td>GAP</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">RANBP2/NUP358</td>
<td>Co-factor</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">NUTF2</td>
<td>Transport factor</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Mechanism</td>
<td>Effect</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Reduced RCC1</td>
<td>Less RAN-GTP</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Altered NUPs</td>
<td>NPC dysfunction</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Aggregate sequestration</td>
<td>TDP-43 mislocalization</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Stress granule accumulation</td>
<td>mRNA processing defects</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">NUP</td>
<td>Interaction Type</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">NUP358/RANBP2</td>
<td>Binding</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">NUP214</td>
<td>Binding</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">NUP153</td>
<td>Binding</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">NUP62</td>
<td>Binding</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">NUP50</td>
<td>Binding</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Receptor</td>
<td>Direction</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Importin-α/β</td>
<td>Import</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Exportin-1/CRM1</td>
<td>Export</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Exportin-t</td>
<td>Export</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">CAS</td>
<td>Import</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Biomarker</td>
<td>Disease</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">NUP62 in CSF</td>
<td>ALS</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">RAN-GTP ratio</td>
<td>ALS</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">NUP358 in blood</td>
<td>ALS</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Nuclear import rate</td>
<td>HD</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Model</td>
<td>Species</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Ran conditional KO</td>
<td>Mouse</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">RCC1 mutants</td>
<td>Mouse</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">NUP transgenic</td>
<td>Zebrafish</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Knock-in</td>
<td>Mouse</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Component</td>
<td>Location</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">RCC1</td>
<td>Chromatin-bound</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">RANBP1</td>
<td>Cytoplasm</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">NUTF2</td>
<td>Nuclear basket</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">RANBP2/NUP358</td>
<td>Nuclear pore</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Model</td>
<td>Evidence</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">C9orf72 iPSC neurons</td>
<td>RAN pathway dysregulation</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">TDP-43 transgenic mice</td>
<td>NPC dysfunction</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">NUP transgenic models</td>
<td>Nuclear pore stress</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Patient tissue</td>
<td>NUP alterations</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Finding</td>
<td>Model</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">NUP62 mislocalization</td>
<td>HD mouse brain</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Importin-α aggregation</td>
<td>HD patient tissue</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Nuclear envelope alterations</td>
<td>Cellular models</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Transcriptional dysregulation</td>
<td>HD models</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Approach</td>
<td>Target</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">RAN modulators</td>
<td>GEF/GAP</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Nuclear export inhibitors</td>
<td>Exportin-1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">NUP modulators</td>
<td>NUP62/88</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">TAT-domain peptides</td>
<td>Nuclear import</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Protein</td>
<td>Interaction</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">IMP-α</td>
<td>Direct binding</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">IMP-β</td>
<td>Direct binding</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">CAS</td>
<td>Direct binding</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">XPO1/CRM1</td>
<td>RAN-GTP dependent</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">NTF2</td>
<td>Direct binding</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Disease</td>
<td>Protein</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">ALS</td>
<td>TDP-43</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">HD</td>
<td>HTT</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">AD</td>
<td>Tau</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">PD</td>
<td>α-syn</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">State</td>
<td>PDB Code</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">RAN-GDP</td>
<td>1I2M</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">RAN-GTPγS</td>
<td>1RRP</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">RAN-RCC1 complex</td>
<td>1U90</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">RAN-RANBP1 complex</td>
<td>1K5G</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Strategy</td>
<td>Target</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Small molecules</td>
<td>GEF/GAP</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Peptides</td>
<td>Transport receptors</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">ASOs</td>
<td>RAN pathway genes</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Gene therapy</td>
<td>RCC1, NUPs</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Biomarker</td>
<td>Disease</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">NUP62 in CSF</td>
<td>ALS</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">RAN-GTP ratio</td>
<td>ALS</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Nuclear import rate</td>
<td>HD</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Tau-nuclear localization</td>
<td>AD</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Method</td>
<td>Measure</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Fluorescent cargo import</td>
<td>Import rate</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Reporter gene assay</td>
<td>Nuclear localization</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">FRAP</td>
<td>Transport kinetics</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">iFLIM</td>
<td>Interaction dynamics</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Species</td>
<td>Identity</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Human</td>
<td>100%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Mouse</td>
<td>99%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Zebrafish</td>
<td>92%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Drosophila</td>
<td>84%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Yeast</td>
<td>65%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Associated Diseases</td>
<td><a href="/wiki/aging" style="color:#ef9a9a">Aging</a>, <a href="/wiki/als" style="color:#ef9a9a">Als</a>, <a href="/wiki/amyotrophic-lateral-sclerosis" style="color:#ef9a9a">Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis</a>, <a href="/wiki/ataxia" style="color:#ef9a9a">Ataxia</a>, <a href="/wiki/cancer" style="color:#ef9a9a">Cancer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">KG Connections</td>
<td><a href="/atlas" style="color:#4fc3f7">73 edges</a></td>
</tr>
</table>
RAN is a human gene. This page covers the gene's normal function, disease associations, expression patterns, and key research findings relevant to neurodegeneration. [@hetzer2012]
RAN (Ras-related nuclear protein) encodes a small GTPase that serves as the master regulator of nucleocytoplasmic transport. As a member of the Ras superfamily, RAN functions as a molecular switch that alternates between an active GTP-bound state and an inactive GDP-bound state. The protein is essential for maintaining the nuclear pore complex (NPC) permeability barrier, directing nuclear import and export of macromolecules, and regulating nuclear envelope assembly during cell division. RAN is ubiquitously expressed with particularly high levels in neurons, where its dysfunction has been increasingly linked to neurodegenerative diseases including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Huntington's disease (HD), and Alzheimer's disease (AD). The gene is located on chromosome 12q24.1 and consists of 8 exons. [@raices2019]
RAN is a 216 amino acid GTPase with: [@kelley2020]
RAN alternates between active and inactive states: [@yamada2017]
RAN regulates the bidirectional flow of macromolecules: [@kim2019]
RAN maintains NPC architecture: [@lange2021]
RAN influences cell division: [@miller2020]
RAN dysfunction contributes to ALS pathogenesis through: [@uhler2021]
The mutant huntingtin protein disrupts RAN function:
RAN dysfunction contributes to AD through:
RAN interacts with multiple NUPs:
RAN intersects with key pathways:
RAN variants in neurodegeneration:
Drug development targeting RAN:
Existing drugs with RAN effects:
The RAN gene encodes a small GTPase essential for nucleocytoplasmic transport, serving as the master regulator of molecular trafficking between the nucleus and cytoplasm. This protein maintains nuclear pore complex function, directs nuclear import and export of macromolecules, and regulates nuclear envelope dynamics. RAN dysfunction has been increasingly linked to neurodegenerative diseases including ALS, Huntington's disease, and Alzheimer's disease, where impaired nucleocytoplasmic transport contributes to protein aggregation, transcriptional dysregulation, and neuronal death. Understanding RAN function provides critical insights into nuclear transport mechanisms and offers potential therapeutic targets for neurodegeneration.
The RAN gradient is established by the spatial separation of its regulators:
Import and export receptors follow distinct cycling patterns:
The cell employs multiple quality control mechanisms:
RAN dysfunction in ALS-FTD involves multiple mechanisms:
Mutant huntingtin disrupts RAN-mediated transport:
Tau pathology affects RAN function:
RAN structure consists of:
GTP binding triggers major conformational shifts:
Current development status:
RAN is highly conserved across eukaryotes:
Key functional features:
Key molecular relationships involving ran from the SciDEX knowledge graph:
From the [SciDEX Exchange](/exchange) — scored by multi-agent debate
Related Analyses:
The following diagram shows the key molecular relationships involving RAN Gene discovered through SciDEX knowledge graph analysis: