ima-2 encodes one of three C. elegans importin alpha proteins; IMA-2 is predicted to function as an adaptor protein that regulates import of nuclear proteins; during development, ima-2 activity is required for normal germline and embryonic mitoses, specifically for proper chromosome segregration and nuclear reassembly; IMA-2 expression is detected in germ cells, oocytes, and early embryonic cells in a dynamic pattern that depends upon the stage of the cell cycle: in germ cells and early embryonic cells at interphase, IMA-2 is cytoplasmic and nuclear envelope-associated, while in oocytes, IMA-2 is cytoplasmic and intranuclear; during mitoses (prometaphase until telophase), IMA-2 surrounds condensed chromosomes, but does not associate with the mitotic spindle; early somatic expression of maternal IMA-2 is diluted upon cell division, with appreciable expression subsequently seen only in the germ line.
Enables nuclear import signal receptor activity. Involved in several processes, including organelle organization; protein import into nucleus; and regulation of chromosome segregation. Located in cytoplasm and nuclear envelope. Expressed in Z2; Z3; and germ line. Is an ortholog of human KPNA2 (karyopherin subunit alpha 2) and KPNA7 (karyopherin subunit alpha 7).
Sequence connection from [Geles KG, Adam SA]. krb 13/11/01
Map position created from combination of previous interpolated map position (based on known location of sequence) and allele information. Therefore this is not a genetic map position based on recombination frequencies or genetic experiments. This was done on advice of the CGC.