Nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) are the channels for the bi-directional movement of macromolecules between the nucleus and cytoplasm, and contain more than 100 different subunits. Many of them belong to a family called nucleoporins, which are characterized by the presence of O-linked N-acetylglucosamine moieties and a distinctive pentapeptide repeat (XFXFG). Nup153 is a peripheral NPC component that is implicated in protein and RNP transport and in the interaction of NPCs with the nuclear lamina. Nup153 contains a unique N-terminal region, a central domain consisting of four to five zinc fingers and a C-terminal region containing about 30 irregularly spaced FXFG repeats. Nup153 is cleaved by caspases during apoptosis. Nup153 interacts wtih TAP, which is essential for mRNA export, and associates with chromatin towards the end of anaphase, in parallel with the inner nuclear membrane protein LAP2. Nup153 is involved in NPC assembly, in anchoring NPCs within the nuclear envelope and in mediating specific nuclear import events.