The long life of an endocytic patch that misses AP-2

Endocytosis is the process by which cells regulate extracellular fluid uptake and internalize molecules bound to their plasma membrane. This process requires the generation of protein-coated vesicles. In clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME) the assembly polypeptide 2 (AP-2) adaptor facilitates rapid endocytosis of some plasma membrane receptors by mediating clathrin recruitment to the endocytic site and by connecting cargoes to the clathrin coat. While this adaptor is essential for early embryonic development in mammals, initial results suggested that it is dispensable for endocytosis in unicellular eukaryotes. The drastic effect of depleting AP-2 in metazoa and the mild effect of deleting AP-2 subunits in Saccharomyces cerevisiae have prevented a detailed analysis of the dynamics of endocytic patches in the absence of this adaptor. Using live-cell imaging of Schizosaccharomyces pombe endocytic sites we have shown that eliminating AP-2 perturbs the dynamics of endocytic patches beyond the moment of coat assembly. These perturbations affect the cell growth pattern and cell wall synthesis. Our results highlight the importance of using different model organisms to address the study of conserved aspects of CME.