mRNA export is an essential cellular process that links transcription and translation in eukaryotes and is mediated through the nuclear pore complex (NPC). This process involves the ATP- and IP₆-dependent function of the Dbp5-Gle1-Nup159 complex, wi...
mRNA export is an essential cellular process that links transcription and translation in eukaryotes and is mediated through the nuclear pore complex (NPC). This process involves the ATP- and IP₆-dependent function of the Dbp5-Gle1-Nup159 complex, with the activation of the DEAD-box helicase Dbp5 and subsequent RNA remodeling playing critical roles. However, the molecular mechanism regulating the formation of the Gle1-Dbp5 complex in fungi remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the structural and functional characteristics of the interaction between Gle1 and Dbp5 derived from Debaryomyces hansenii. N-terminal truncation and point mutation variants of Dbp5 and Gle1 were generated, and their complex-forming ability was quantitatively assessed using size- exclusion chromatography and integrated density analysis based on SDS–PAGE. The results showed that progressive truncation of the N-terminal region of Dbp5 significantly increased its binding affinity to Gle1. These findings suggest that the N-terminal region of Dbp5 may contribute to the regulation of complex formation and support a cofactor-dependent activation model that differs from the auto-inhibitory helix-mediated mechanism observed in the human homolog DDX19. This study contributes to understanding the mechanism of fungal mRNA export and may inform studies on RNA metabolism and nucleocytoplasmic transport in eukaryotes. Key Words : Dbp5, Gle1, Gle1-Dbp5 complex, Auto-inhibitory helix, DEAD-box helicase, Nuclear pore complex (NPC), mRNA export, Debaryomyces hansenii