Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 22, 2026

Aip1p Dynamics Are Altered by the R256H Mutation in Actin
Published on: July 30, 2014
Endophilin A3 forms filamentous structures that colocalise with microtubules but not with actin filaments
Alis C Hughes1, Rachel Errington, Rosemary Fricker-Gates
1Institute of Medical Genetics, University of Wales College of Medicine, Heath Park, Cardiff CF14 4XN, UK.
Abstract:
Endophilin A3 is a member of the endophilin family of proteins, thought to play a role in the formation of clathrin-coated vesicles from the plasma membrane in the process of clathrin-mediated endocytosis. We investigated the localisation of both endogenous and overexpressed endophilin A3 within mammalian cells. Endophilin A3 demonstrated a complex cellular distribution with bright punctate structures and filamentous strands superimposed on a diffuse cytoplasmic background. The endophilin A3 structures did not colocalise with mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum or lysosomes. Direct immunolocalisation and cytoskeletal perturbation studies showed that the filamentous structures were more likely to be colocalised with microtubules than actin filaments. We therefore propose that endophilin A3 has a role in transport along or as part of the structure of microtubules, in addition to its suggested role in endocytosis.
Related Concept Videos
Assembly of Cytoskeletal Filaments
Formation of Higher-order Actin Filaments
The high-order actin networks...
The Structure of Intermediate Filaments
Intermediate filaments...
Formation of Intermediate Filaments
Introduction to Actin
Generation of Straight or Branched Actin Filaments
Arp2/3 Complex
Arp2/3 complex is a seven-subunit complex consisting of two proteins similar to actin- Arp2 and Arp3, and five other subunits that help keep Arp2 and Arp3 inactive. When required, the complex is...

