Identification and characterization of a nerve terminal-enriched amphiphysin isoform

Amphiphysin is a nerve terminal-enriched protein thought to function in synaptic vesicle endocytosis, in part through Src homology 3 (SH3) domain-mediated interactions with dynamin and synaptojanin. Here, we report the characterization of a novel amphiphysin isoform (termed amphiphysin II) that was identified through a homology search of the data base of expressed sequence tags. Antibodies specific to amphiphysin II recognize a 90-kDa protein on Western blot that is brain-specific and highly enriched in nerve terminals. Like amphiphysin (now referred to as amphiphysin I), amphiphysin II binds to dynamin and synaptojanin through its SH3 domain. Further, both proteins bind directly to clathrin in an SH3 domain-independent manner. Taken together, these data suggest that amphiphysin II may participate with amphiphysin I in the regulation of synaptic vesicle endocytosis.