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Nuclear transport factor 2 (NTF2) facilitates protein transport into the nucleus and interacts with both the small Ras-like GTPase Ran and nucleoporin p62. We have determined the structure of bacterially expressed rat NTF2 at 1.6 angstroms resolution using X-ray crystallography. The NTF2 polypeptide chain forms an alpha + beta barrel that opens at one end to form a distinctive hydrophobic cavity and its fold is homologous to that of scytalone dehydratase. The NTF2 hydrophobic cavity is a candidate for a potential binding site for other proteins involved in nuclear import such as Ran and nucleoporin p62. In addition, the hydrophobic cavity contains a putative catalytic Asp-His pair, which raises the possibility of an unanticipated enzymatic activity of the molecule that may have implications for the molecular mechanism of nuclear protein import.