NUP637

NUP637 (PF3D7_0609000) is a putative phenylalanine-glycine (FG) nucleoporin of the Plasmodium nuclear pore complex, established primarily through its association with other NPC components rather than through direct functional study (PMID:36040030). In P. berghei, NUP637 was verified by TurboID proximity labeling and mass spectrometry as an interaction partner of the NPC scaffold nucleoporin NUP313, placing it within the nuclear pore complex (PMID:36040030). In P. falciparum gametocytes, NUP637 co-purified with a multiprotein complex containing the NPC constituents NUP313, NUP138, and NUP176 (PMID:41986327). Beyond this membership in the nuclear pore complex, no direct enzymatic activity, structure, imaging-based localization, or loss-of-function phenotype has been experimentally established for NUP637 itself in the available corpus.

1. 2018 Low

   The question of whether PF3D7_0609000 belongs to the Plasmodium nuclear pore machinery was first addressed by cataloguing candidate nucleoporins, positioning NUP637 as a putative FG-nucleoporin.

   Evidence Bioinformatic identification of NPC components in P. berghei with FG-repeat prediction and P. falciparum ortholog assignment

   PMID:30050042

   Open questions at the time

   • Prediction only — NUP637 itself was not directly tagged or localized in this study
   • FG-repeat content inferred computationally, not verified biochemically
   • No functional role assigned
2. 2022 Medium

   Whether NUP637 physically associates with the NPC scaffold was tested directly, confirming it as a proximity partner of NUP313 within the nuclear pore complex.

   Evidence TurboID proximity labeling, affinity purification, and mass spectrometry in P. berghei

   PMID:36040030

   Open questions at the time

   • Proximity labeling from a single lab and single method; no reciprocal validation
   • Does not establish direct binding versus co-proximity within the NPC
   • No functional characterization of NUP637 itself
3. 2026 Low

   Whether NUP637 associates with other NPC constituents in a distinct life-cycle stage was addressed in P. falciparum gametocytes, showing it co-purifies with a complex containing NUP313, NUP138, and NUP176.

   Evidence Co-immunoprecipitation coupled to mass spectrometry (IP-MS) in P. falciparum gametocytes

   PMID:41986327

   Open questions at the time

   • Single Co-IP/MS result; NUP637 is one of many co-purified proteins
   • No demonstration that NUP637 is required for the complex or for gametocyte biology
   • Relationship to the cryptochrome-like protein PfDPL bait not resolved for NUP637 specifically

• No direct enzymatic activity, structure, imaging-based localization, or loss-of-function phenotype has been established for NUP637 itself; its specific role within the nuclear pore complex remains uncharacterized.
• No direct subcellular imaging of NUP637
• No genetic knockout or knockdown phenotype
• No structural or biochemical characterization of its FG repeats or barrier function