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Fast and ultrafast endocytosis.
Shigeki Watanabe1, Emmanuel Boucrot2
1Department of Cell Biology, John Hopkins University School of Medicine, 725 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD21205, USA; Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, John Hopkins University School of Medicine, 725 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD21205, USA.
Clathrin-mediated endocytosis is too slow for rapid cellular responses. This review covers fast and ultrafast endocytosis pathways, which are clathrin-independent and essential for quick protein internalization.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME) is the primary pathway for cellular housekeeping.
- CME is insufficient for rapid cellular responses like stress reactions or chemotaxis, which require millisecond to second timescales.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current understanding of fast and ultrafast endocytosis.
- To explore the functions and molecular mechanisms of these rapid endocytic processes.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of scientific articles on endocytosis.
- Analysis of identified fast endocytic pathways: macropinocytosis, activity-dependent bulk endocytosis (ABDE), fast-endophilin-mediated endocytosis (FEME), kiss-and-run, and ultrafast endocytosis.
Main Results:
- Several clathrin-independent endocytic pathways exist that operate faster than CME.
- These pathways are not constitutively active and utilize distinct molecular mechanisms.
Conclusions:
- Fast and ultrafast endocytosis are crucial for rapid cellular responses, complementing the slower CME pathway.
- Understanding these mechanisms is key to comprehending cellular dynamics during physiological stress and signaling.
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