GoKawiilCore processes in the nucleus, such as gene transcription and DNA replication, are energetically demanding. But energy-carrying molecules are generated mainly by mitochondria. How is the delivery of these molecules to the nucleus coordinated? Writing in Nature, Menendez-Montes et al.1 identify an interaction between a protein that makes up the nuclear pore, called RANBP2 (RAN binding protein 2), and one that sits on the outer mitochondrial membrane, called VDAC1 (voltage-dependent anion channel 1). They show that this interaction facilitates the direct transfer of energy-carrying metabolite molecules to support the energy-consuming process of cell differentiation, which is crucial in embryonic development.
doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-026-01587-5
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Competing Interests The authors declare no competing interests.
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