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Updated: Apr 22, 2026

In vivo and in vitro Studies of Adaptor-clathrin Interaction
Published on: January 26, 2011
A clathrin coat assembly role for the muniscin protein central linker revealed by TALEN-mediated gene editing
Perunthottathu K Umasankar1, Li Ma1, James R Thieman1
1Department of Cell Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, United States.
Abstract:
Clathrin-mediated endocytosis is an evolutionarily ancient membrane transport system regulating cellular receptivity and responsiveness. Plasmalemma clathrin-coated structures range from unitary domed assemblies to expansive planar constructions with internal or flanking invaginated buds. Precisely how these morphologically-distinct coats are formed, and whether all are functionally equivalent for selective cargo internalization is still disputed. We have disrupted the genes encoding a set of early arriving clathrin-coat constituents, FCHO1 and FCHO2, in HeLa cells. Endocytic coats do not disappear in this genetic background; rather clustered planar lattices predominate and endocytosis slows, but does not cease. The central linker of FCHO proteins acts as an allosteric regulator of the prime endocytic adaptor, AP-2. By loading AP-2 onto the plasma membrane, FCHO proteins provide a parallel pathway for AP-2 activation and clathrin-coat fabrication. Further, the steady-state morphology of clathrin-coated structures appears to be a manifestation of the availability of the muniscin linker during lattice polymerization.
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