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Clathrin assembly lymphoid myeloid leukemia (CALM) protein: localization in endocytic-coated pits, interactions with clathrin, and the impact of overexpression on clathrin-mediated traffic.

The clathrin assembly lymphoid myeloid leukemia (CALM) gene encodes a putative homologue of the clathrin assembly synaptic protein AP180. Hence the biochemical properties, the subcellular localization, and the role in endocytosis of a CALM protein were studied. In vitro binding and coimmunoprecipitation demonstrated that the clathrin heavy chain is the major binding partner of CALM. The bulk of cellular CALM was associated with the membrane fractions of the cell and localized to clathrin-coated areas of the plasma membrane. In the membrane fraction, CALM was present at near stoichiometric amounts relative to clathrin. To perform structure-function analysis of CALM, we engineered chimeric fusion proteins of CALM and its fragments with the green fluorescent protein (GFP). GFP-CALM was targeted to the plasma membrane-coated pits and also found colocalized with clathrin in the Golgi area. High levels of expression of GFP-CALM or its fragments with clathrin-binding activity inhibited the endocytosis of transferrin and epidermal growth factor receptors and altered the steady-state distribution of the mannose-6-phosphate receptor in the cell. In addition, GFP-CALM overexpression caused the loss of clathrin accumulation in the trans-Golgi network area, whereas the localization of the clathrin adaptor protein complex 1 in the trans-Golgi network remained unaffected. The ability of the GFP-tagged fragments of CALM to affect clathrin-mediated processes correlated with the targeting of the fragments to clathrin-coated areas and their clathrin-binding capacities. Clathrin-CALM interaction seems to be regulated by multiple contact interfaces. The C-terminal part of CALM binds clathrin heavy chain, although the full-length protein exhibited maximal ability for interaction. Altogether, the data suggest that CALM is an important component of coated pit internalization machinery, possibly involved in the regulation of clathrin recruitment to the membrane and/or the formation of the coated pit.

Adaptor Proteins, Vesicular Transport↗

Clathrin exchange during clathrin-mediated endocytosis.

During clathrin-mediated endocytosis, clathrin-coated pits invaginate to form clathrin-coated vesicles (CVs). Since clathrin-coated pits are planar structures, whereas CVs are spherical, there must be a structural rearrangement of clathrin as invagination occurs. This could occur through simple addition of clathrin triskelions to the edges of growing clathrin-coated pits with very little exchange occurring between clathrin in the pits and free clathrin in the cytosol, or it could occur through large scale exchange of free and bound clathrin. In the present study, we investigated this question by studying clathrin exchange both in vitro and in vivo. We found that in vitro clathrin in CVs and clathrin baskets do not exchange with free clathrin even in the presence of Hsc70 and ATP where partial uncoating occurs. However, surprisingly FRAP studies on clathrin-coated pits labeled with green fluorescent protein-clathrin light chains in HeLa cells show that even when endocytosis is blocked by expression of a dynamin mutant or depletion of cholesterol from the membrane, replacement of photobleached clathrin in coated pits on the membrane occurs at almost the same rate and magnitude as when endocytosis is occurring. Furthermore, very little of this replacement is due to dissolution of old pits and reformation of new ones; rather, it is caused by a rapid ATP-dependent exchange of clathrin in the pits with free clathrin in the cytosol. On the other hand, consistent with the in vitro data both potassium depletion and hypertonic sucrose, which have been reported to transform clathrin-coated pits into clathrin cages just below the surface of the plasma membrane, not only block endocytosis but also block exchange of clathrin. Taken together, these data show that ATP-dependent exchange of free and bound clathrin is a fundamental property of clathrin-coated pits, but not clathrin baskets, and may be involved in a structural rearrangement of clathrin as clathrin-coated pits invaginate.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

Clathrin binding and assembly activities of expressed domains of the synapse-specific clathrin assembly protein AP-3.

We separately expressed the 58-kDa C-terminal, 42-kDa middle, 16-kDa C-terminal, and 33-kDa N-terminal regions of AP-3 (also called F1-20, AP180, NP185, and pp155), and determined their clathrin binding and assembly properties. The 58-kDa C-terminal region of AP-3 is able to bind to clathrin triskelia and assemble them into a homogeneous population of clathrin cages and will also bind to preassembled clathrin cages. The 42-kDa central region of AP-3 can bind to both clathrin triskelia and to clathrin cages, but cannot assemble clathrin triskelia into clathrin cages. The 16-kDa C-terminal region of AP-3 can bind to clathrin cages, but cannot bind to clathrin triskelia or assemble clathrin triskelia into clathrin cages. The clathrin binding activities of the 42-kDa central region and 16-kDa C-terminal region are weaker than the corresponding activity of either the 58-kDa C-terminal region or full-length AP-3. Previous efforts had mapped a clathrin binding site within the N-terminal 33 kDa of AP-3 (Murphy, J. E., Pleasure, I. T., Puszkin, S., Prasad, K., and Keen, J. H. (1991) J. Biol. Chem. 266, 4401-4408; Morris, S. A., Schroder, S., Plessmann, U., Weber, K., and Ungewickell, E. (1993) EMBO J. 12, 667-675). However, although the N-terminal 33 kDa of AP-3 is able to bind to clathrin triskelia (Murphy, J. E., Pleasure, I. T., Puszkin, S., Prasad, K., and Keen, J. H. (1991) J. Biol. Chem. 266, 4401-4408; Ye, W., and Lafer, E. M. (1995) J. Neurosci. Res. 41, 15-26), it does not promote their assembly into clathrin cages (Murphy, J. E., Pleasure, I. T., Puszkin, S., Prasad, K., and Keen, J. H. (1991) J. Biol. CHem. 266, 4401-4408; Ye, W., and Lafer, E. M. (1995) J. Neurosci. Res. 41, 15-26) or bind to preassembled clathrin cages (Ye, W., and Lafer, E. M. (1995) J. Neurosci. Res. 41, 15-26). It appears that the smallest functional unit that carries out all of the reported clathrin binding and assembly properties of AP-3, essentially as well as the full-length protein, is the 58-kDa C-terminal region.

Adaptor Proteins, Vesicular Transport↗

Expression of auxilin or AP180 inhibits endocytosis by mislocalizing clathrin: evidence for formation of nascent pits containing AP1 or AP2 but not clathrin.

Although uncoating of clathrin-coated vesicles is a key event in clathrin-mediated endocytosis it is unclear what prevents uncoating of clathrin-coated pits before they pinch off to become clathrin-coated vesicles. We have shown that the J-domain proteins auxilin and GAK are required for uncoating by Hsc70 in vitro. In the present study, we expressed auxilin in cultured cells to determine if this would block endocytosis by causing premature uncoating of clathrin-coated pits. We found that expression of auxilin indeed inhibited endocytosis. However, expression of auxilin with its J-domain mutated so that it no longer interacted with Hsc70 also inhibited endocytosis as did expression of the clathrin-assembly protein, AP180, or its clathrin-binding domain. Accompanying this inhibition, we observed a marked decrease in clathrin associated with the plasma membrane and the trans-Golgi network, which provided us with an opportunity to determine whether the absence of clathrin from clathrin-coated pits affected the distribution of the clathrin assembly proteins AP1 and AP2. Surprisingly we found almost no change in the association of AP2 and AP1 with the plasma membrane and the trans-Golgi network, respectively. This was particularly obvious when auxilin or GAK was expressed with functional J-domains since, in these cases, almost all of the clathrin was sequestered in granules that also contained Hsc70 and auxilin or GAK. We conclude that expression of clathrin-binding proteins inhibits clathrin-mediated endocytosis by sequestering clathrin so that it is no longer available to bind to nascent pits but that assembly proteins bind to these pits independently of clathrin.

Adaptor Protein Complex 1↗

Epsin binds to clathrin by associating directly with the clathrin-terminal domain. Evidence for cooperative binding through two discrete sites.

Epsin is a recently identified protein that appears to play an important role in clathrin-mediated endocytosis. The central region of epsin 1, the so-called DPW domain, binds to the heterotetrameric AP-2 adaptor complex by associating directly with the globular appendage of the alpha subunit. We have found that this central portion of epsin 1 also associates with clathrin. The interaction with clathrin is direct and not mediated by epsin-bound AP-2. Alanine scanning mutagenesis shows that clathrin binding depends on the sequence (257)LMDLADV located within the epsin 1 DPW domain. This sequence, related to the known clathrin-binding sequences in the adaptor beta subunits, amphiphysin, and beta-arrestin, facilitates the association of epsin 1 with the terminal domain of the clathrin heavy chain. Unexpectedly, inhibiting the binding of AP-2 to the GST-epsin DPW fusion protein by progressively deleting DPW triplets but leaving the LMDLADV sequence intact, diminishes the association of clathrin in parallel with AP-2. Because the beta subunit of the AP-2 complex also contains a clathrin-binding site, optimal association with soluble clathrin appears to depend on the presence of at least two distinct clathrin-binding sites, and we show that a second clathrin-binding sequence (480)LVDLD, located within the carboxyl-terminal segment of epsin 1, also interacts with clathrin directly. The LMDLADV and LVDLD sequences act cooperatively in clathrin recruitment assays, suggesting that they bind to different sites on the clathrin-terminal domain. The evolutionary conservation of similar clathrin-binding sequences in several metazoan epsin-like molecules suggests that the ability to establish multiple protein-protein contacts within a developing clathrin-coated bud is an important aspect of epsin function.

Adaptor Protein Complex alpha Subunits↗

Human erythrocyte clathrin and clathrin-uncoating protein.

Clathrin, a Mr = 72,000 clathrin-associated protein, and myosin were purified in milligram quantities from the same erythrocyte hemolysate fraction. Erythrocyte clathrin closely resembled brain clathrin in several respects: (a) both are triskelions as visualized by electron microscopy with arms 40 nm in length with globular ends and a flexible hinge region in the middle of each arm, and these triskelions assemble into polyhedral "cages" at appropriate pH and ionic strength; (b) both molecules contain heavy chains of Mr = 170,000 that are indistinguishable by two-dimensional maps of 125I-labeled peptides; and (c) both molecules contain light chains of Mr approximately 40,000 in a 1:1 molar ratio with the heavy chain. Erythrocyte clathrin is not identical to brain clathrin since antibody raised against the erythrocyte protein reacts better with erythrocyte clathrin than with brain clathrin and since brain clathrin contains two light chains resolved on sodium dodecyl sulfate gels while the light chain of erythrocyte clathrin migrates as a single band. The erythrocyte Mr = 72,000 clathrin-associated protein is closely related to a protein in brain that mediates ATP-dependent disassembly of clathrin from coated vesicles and binds tightly to clathrin triskelions (Schlossman, D. M., Schmid, S. L., Braell, W. A., and Rothman, J. E. (1984) J. Cell Biol. 99, 723-733). The erythrocyte and brain proteins have identical Mr on sodium dodecyl sulfate gels and identical maps of 125I-labeled peptides, share antigenic sites, and bind tightly to ATP immobilized on agarose. Clathrin and the uncoating protein are not restricted to reticulocytes since equivalent amounts of these proteins are present in whole erythrocyte populations and reticulocyte-depleted erythrocytes. Clathrin is present at 6,000 triskelions/cells, while the uncoating protein is in substantial excess at 250,000 copies/cell.

Carrier Proteins↗

Compromise of clathrin function and membrane association by clathrin light chain deletion.

While clathrin heavy chains from different species are highly conserved in amino acid sequence, clathrin light chains are much more divergent. Thus clathrin light chain may have different functions in different organisms. To investigate clathrin light chain function, we cloned the clathrin light chain, clcA, from Dictyostelium and examined clathrin function in clcA-mutants. Phenotypic deficiencies in development, cytokinesis, and osmoregulation showed that light chain was critical for clathrin function in Dictyostelium. In contrast with budding yeast, we found the light chain did not influence steady-state levels of clathrin, triskelion formation, or contribute to clathrin over-assembly on intracellular membranes. Imaging GFP-CHC in clcA- mutants showed that the heavy chain formed dynamic punctate structures that were remarkably similar to those found in wild-type cells. However, clathrin light chain knockouts showed a decreased association of clathrin with intracellular membranes. Unlike wild-type cells, half of the clathrin in clcA- mutants was cytosolic, suggesting that the absence of light chain compromised the assembly of triskelions onto intracellular membranes. Taken together, these results suggest a role for the Dictyostelium clathrin light chain in regulating the self-assembly of triskelions onto intracellular membranes, and demonstrate a crucial contribution of the light chain to clathrin function in vivo.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

NGF signals through TrkA to increase clathrin at the plasma membrane and enhance clathrin-mediated membrane trafficking.

Neurotrophin (NT) signals may be moved from axon terminals to neuron cell bodies via signaling endosomes-organelles in which NTs continue to be bound to their activated receptors. Suggesting that clathrin-coated membranes serve as one source of signaling endosomes, in earlier studies we showed that nerve growth factor (NGF) treatment increased clathrin at the plasma membrane and resulted in colocalization of clathrin with TrkA, the receptor tyrosine kinase for NGF. Strikingly, however, we also noted that most clathrin puncta at the surface of NGF-treated cells did not colocalize with TrkA, raising the possibility that NGF induces a general increase in clathrin-coated membrane formation. To explore this possibility further, we examined the distribution of clathrin in NGF- and BDNF-treated cells. NGF signaling in PC12 cells robustly redistributed the adaptor protein AP2 and the clathrin heavy chain (CHC) to surface membranes. Using confocal and epifluorescence microscopy, as well as biochemical assays, we showed the redistribution of clathrin to be attributable to the activation of TrkA. Significantly, NGF signaled through TrkA to induce an increase in clathrin-mediated membrane trafficking, as revealed in the increased endocytosis of transferrin. In that BDNF treatment increased AP2 and clathrin at the surface membranes of hippocampal neurons, these findings may represent a physiologically significant response to NTs. We conclude that NT signaling increases clathrin-coated membrane formation and clathrin-mediated membrane trafficking and speculate that this effect contributes to their trophic actions via the increased internalization of receptors and other proteins that are present in clathrin-coated membranes.

Adaptor Protein Complex 2↗

Exchange of clathrin, AP2 and epsin on clathrin-coated pits in permeabilized tissue culture cells.

Clathrin and clathrin adaptors on clathrin-coated pits exchange with cytosolic clathrin and clathrin adaptors in vivo. This exchange might require the molecular chaperone Hsc70 and J-domain-protein auxilin, which, with ATP, uncoat clathrin-coated vesicles both in vivo and in vitro. We find that, although Hsc70 and ATP alone could not uncoat clathrin-coated pits, further addition of auxilin caused rapid uncoating of clathrin but not AP2 and epsin. By contrast, cytosol uncoats clathrin, AP2 and epsin from pits in permeabilized cells, and, concomitantly, these proteins in the cytosol rebind to the same pits, establishing that, like in vivo, these proteins exchange in permeabilized cells. Dissociation and exchange of clathrin in permeabilized cells can be prevented by inhibiting Hsc70 activity. The presence of clathrin-exchange in the permeabilized system substantiates our in vivo observations, and is consistent with the view that Hsc70 and auxilin are involved in the clathrin-exchange that occurs as clathrin-coated pits invaginate in vivo.

Adaptor Proteins, Vesicular Transport↗

Clathrin interactions with C-terminal regions of the yeast AP-1 beta and gamma subunits are important for AP-1 association with clathrin coats.

Heterotetrameric adaptor (AP) complexes are thought to coordinate cargo recruitment and clathrin assembly during clathrin-coated vesicle biogenesis. We have identified, and characterized the physiological significance of clathrin-binding activities in the two large subunits of the AP-1 complex in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Using GST-fusion chromatography, two clathrin-binding sites were defined in the beta1 subunit that match consensus clathrin-binding sequences in other mammalian and yeast clathrin-binding proteins. Clathrin interactions were also identified with the C-terminal region of the gamma subunit. When introduced into chromosomal genes, point mutations in the beta1 clathrin-binding motifs, or deletion of the gamma C-terminal region, reduced association of AP-1 with clathrin in coimmunoprecipitation assays. The beta1 mutations or the gamma truncation individually produced minor effects on AP-1 distribution by subcellular fractionation. However, when beta1 and gamma mutations were combined, severe defects were observed in AP-1 association with membranes and incorporation into clathrin-coated vesicles. The combination of subunit mutations accentuated growth and alpha-factor pheromone maturation defects in chc1-ts cells, though not to the extent caused by complete loss of AP-1 activity. Our results suggest that both the beta1 and gamma subunits contribute interactions with clathrin that are important for stable assembly of AP-1 complexes into clathrin coats in vivo.

Adaptor Protein Complex beta Subunits↗

Mixed lineage kinase 2 interacts with clathrin and influences clathrin-coated vesicle trafficking.

Mixed lineage kinase 2 (MLK2) is a protein kinase that signals in the stress-activated Jun N-terminal kinase signal transduction pathway. We used immunoprecipitation and mass spectrometric analysis to identify MLK2-binding proteins in cell lines with inducible expression of green fluorescent protein-tagged MLK2. Here we report the identification of clathrin as a binding partner for MLK2 in both cultured cells and mammalian brain. We demonstrate that clathrin binding requires a motif (LLDMD) located near the MLK2 C terminus, which is similar to "clathrin box" motifs important for binding of clathrin coat assembly and accessory proteins to the clathrin heavy chain. A C-terminal fragment of MLK2 containing this motif binds strongly to clathrin, and mutation of the LLDMD sequence to LAAAD completely abrogates clathrin binding. We isolated clathrin-coated vesicles from green fluorescent protein-MLK2-expressing cells and from mouse brain lysates and found that MLK2 is enriched along with clathrin in these vesicles. In addition, we demonstrated that endogenous MLK2 co-immunoprecipitates with clathrin heavy chain from the vesicle-enriched fraction of mouse brain lysate. Furthermore, overexpression of MLK2 in cultured cells inhibits accumulation of labeled transferrin in recycling endosomes during receptor-mediated endocytosis. These findings suggest a role for MLK2 and the stress-signaling pathway at sites of clathrin activity in vesicle formation or trafficking.

Amino Acid Motifs↗

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae APS1 gene encodes a homolog of the small subunit of the mammalian clathrin AP-1 complex: evidence for functional interaction with clathrin at the Golgi complex.

Clathrin-associated protein (AP) complexes have been implicated in the assembly of clathrin coats and the selectivity of clathrin-mediated protein transport processes. We have identified a yeast gene, APS1, encoding a homolog of the small (referred to herein as sigma) subunits of the mammalian AP-1 complex. Sequence comparisons have shown that Aps1p is more similar to the sigma subunit of the Golgi-localized mammalian AP-1 complex than Aps2p, which is more related to the plasma membrane AP-2 sigma subunit. Like their mammalian counterparts, Aps1p and Aps2p are components of distinct, large (> 200 kDa) complexes and a significant portion of the Aps proteins co-fractionate with clathrin-coated vesicles during gel filtration chromatography. Unexpectedly, even though the evolutionary conservation of AP small subunits is substantial (50% identity between mammalian and yeast proteins), disruptions of APS1 (aps1 delta) and APS2 (aps2 delta), individually or in combination, elicit no detectable mutant phenotypes. These data indicate that the Aps proteins are not absolutely required for clathrin-mediated selective protein transport in cells expressing wild type clathrin. However, aps1 delta accentuated the slow growth and alpha-factor pheromone maturation defect of cells carrying a temperature-sensitive allele of clathrin heavy chain (Chc) (chc1-ts). In contrast, aps1 delta did not influence the effects of chc1-ts on vacuolar protein sorting or receptor-mediated endocytosis. The aps2 delta mutation resulted in a slight effect on chc1-ts cell growth but had no additional effects. The growth defect of cells completely lacking Chc was compounded by aps1 delta but not aps2 delta. These results comprise evidence that Aps1p is involved in a subset of clathrin functions at the Golgi apparatus. The effect of aps1 delta on cells devoid of clathrin function suggests that Aps1p also participates in clathrin-independent processes.

Adaptor Protein Complex 1↗

Brain clathrin and clathrin-associated proteins.

The assembly of clathrin into baskets or cages in vitro may depend on formation of complex between clathrin and a polypeptide doublet migrating in the 30000-mol.wt. region. Clathrin with several associated proteins was isolated from coated-vesicle fractions of bovine cerebral cortex. Most associated proteins were separated by Sepharose 4B column chromatograhy. The eluted clathrin retained only the 30000-mol.wt. doublet and assembled into baskets at pH 6.5. Limited proteolysis of coated vesicles or clathrin assembled as baskets removed these clathrin-associated proteins (CAPs) without detectably altering clathrin. Enzyme-treated clathrin assembled into open-lattice structures but no longer formed baskets in vitro. Latex particles with bound enzyme cleaved the CAPs from coated vesicles and clathrin baskets, suggesting that the CAPs protrude from the exterior of the clathrin lattice.

Animals↗

Depletion of GAK/auxilin 2 inhibits receptor-mediated endocytosis and recruitment of both clathrin and clathrin adaptors.

Cyclin G-associated kinase (GAK/auxilin 2), the ubiquitous form of the neuronal-specific protein auxilin 1, is an essential cofactor for the Hsc70-dependent uncoating of clathrin-coated vesicles. We have now investigated the effect of knocking down GAK in HeLa cells by vector-based small hairpin RNA. Functionally, depletion of GAK caused a marked decrease in internalization of both transferrin and epidermal growth factor and altered mannose 6-phosphate receptor trafficking, but had little effect on the recycling of transferrin receptor back to the plasma membrane. Structurally, depletion of GAK caused a marked reduction in perinuclear clathrin associated with the trans-Golgi network and in the number of clathrin-coated pits on the plasma membrane, and reduced clathrin exchange on the few clathrin-coated pits that remained. Surprisingly, while clathrin depletion does not prevent adaptors from assembling on the membrane, depletion of GAK caused a dramatic reduction in AP2 and epsin on the plasma membrane and AP1 and GGA at the trans-Golgi network. A similar effect was caused by expression of a dominant negative Hsp70 mutant. These results suggest that GAK, in conjunction with Hsc70, not only uncoats clathrin-coated vesicles and induces clathrin exchange on clathrin-coated pits, but also mediates binding of clathrin and adaptors to the plasma membrane and the trans-Golgi network.

Adaptor Proteins, Vesicular Transport↗

Huntingtin-interacting protein 1 (Hip1) and Hip1-related protein (Hip1R) bind the conserved sequence of clathrin light chains and thereby influence clathrin assembly in vitro and actin distribution in vivo.

Clathrin heavy and light chains form triskelia, which assemble into polyhedral coats of membrane vesicles that mediate transport for endocytosis and organelle biogenesis. Light chain subunits regulate clathrin assembly in vitro by suppressing spontaneous self-assembly of the heavy chains. The residues that play this regulatory role are at the N terminus of a conserved 22-amino acid sequence that is shared by all vertebrate light chains. Here we show that these regulatory residues and others in the conserved sequence mediate light chain interaction with Hip1 and Hip1R. These related proteins were previously found to be enriched in clathrin-coated vesicles and to promote clathrin assembly in vitro. We demonstrate Hip1R binding preference for light chains associated with clathrin heavy chain and show that Hip1R stimulation of clathrin assembly in vitro is blocked by mutations in the conserved sequence of light chains that abolish interaction with Hip1 and Hip1R. In vivo overexpression of a fragment of clathrin light chain comprising the Hip1R-binding region affected cellular actin distribution. Together these results suggest that the roles of Hip1 and Hip1R in affecting clathrin assembly and actin distribution are mediated by their interaction with the conserved sequence of clathrin light chains.

Actins↗

Huntingtin interacting protein 1 (HIP1) regulates clathrin assembly through direct binding to the regulatory region of the clathrin light chain.

Huntingtin interacting protein 1 (HIP1) is a component of clathrin coats. We previously demonstrated that HIP1 promotes clathrin assembly through its central helical domain, which binds directly to clathrin light chains (CLCs). To better understand the relationship between CLC binding and clathrin assembly we sought to dissect this interaction. Using C-terminal deletion constructs of the HIP1 helical domain, we identified a region between residues 450 and 456 that is required for CLC binding. Within this region, point mutations showed the importance of residues Leu-451, Leu-452, and Arg-453. Mutants that fail to bind CLC are unable to promote clathrin assembly in vitro but still mediate HIP1 homodimerization and heterodimerization with the family member HIP12/HIP1R. Moreover, HIP1 binding to CLC is necessary for HIP1 targeting to clathrin-coated pits and clathrin-coated vesicles. Interestingly, HIP1 binds to a highly conserved region of CLC previously demonstrated to regulate clathrin assembly. These results suggest a role for HIP1/CLC interactions in the regulation of clathrin assembly.

Amino Acid Motifs↗

Tandem arrangement of the clathrin and AP-2 binding domains in amphiphysin 1 and disruption of clathrin coat function by amphiphysin fragments comprising these sites.

Amphiphysin 1 and 2 are proteins implicated in the recycling of synaptic vesicles in nerve terminals. They interact with dynamin and synaptojanin via their COOH-terminal SH3 domain, whereas their central regions contain binding sites for clathrin and for the clathrin adaptor AP-2. We have defined here amino acids of amphiphysin 1 crucial for binding to AP-2 and clathrin. Overexpression in Chinese hamster ovary cells of an amphiphysin 1 fragment that binds both AP-2 and clathrin resulted in a segregation of clathrin, which acquired a diffuse distribution, from AP-2, which accumulated at patches also positive for Eps15. These effects correlated with a block in clathrin-mediated endocytosis. A fragment selectively interacting with clathrin produced a similar effect. These results can be explained by the binding of amphiphysin to the NH(2)-terminal domain of clathrin and by a competition with the binding of this domain to the beta-subunit of AP-2 and AP180. The interaction of amphiphysin 1 with either clathrin or AP-2 did not prevent its interaction with dynamin, supporting the existence of tertiary complexes between these proteins. Together with previous evidence indicating a direct interaction between amphiphysin and membrane lipids, these findings support a model in which amphiphysin acts as a multifunctional adaptor linking the membrane to coat proteins and coat proteins to dynamin and synaptojanin.

Adaptor Protein Complex alpha Subunits↗

The actin-binding protein Hip1R associates with clathrin during early stages of endocytosis and promotes clathrin assembly in vitro.

Huntingtin-interacting protein 1 related (Hip1R) is a novel component of clathrin-coated pits and vesicles and is a mammalian homologue of Sla2p, an actin-binding protein important for both actin organization and endocytosis in yeast. Here, we demonstrate that Hip1R binds via its putative central coiled-coil domain to clathrin, and provide evidence that Hip1R and clathrin are associated in vivo at sites of endocytosis. First, real-time analysis of Hip1R-YFP and DsRed-clathrin light chain (LC) in live cells revealed that these proteins show almost identical temporal and spatial regulation at the cell cortex. Second, at the ultrastructure level, immunogold labeling of 'unroofed' cells showed that Hip1R localizes to clathrin-coated pits. Third, overexpression of Hip1R affected the subcellular distribution of clathrin LC. Consistent with a functional role for Hip1R in endocytosis, we also demonstrated that it promotes clathrin cage assembly in vitro. Finally, we showed that Hip1R is a rod-shaped apparent dimer with globular heads at either end, and that it can assemble clathrin-coated vesicles and F-actin into higher order structures. In total, Hip1R's properties suggest an early endocytic function at the interface between clathrin, F-actin, and lipids.

Actins↗