Epsin is an EH-domain-binding protein implicated in clathrin-mediated endocytosis

Nature. 1998 Aug 20;394(6695):793-7. doi: 10.1038/29555.

Abstract

During endocytosis, clathrin and the clathrin adaptor protein AP-2, assisted by a variety of accessory factors, help to generate an invaginated bud at the cell membrane. One of these factors is Eps15, a clathrin-coat-associated protein that binds the alpha-adaptin subunit of AP-2. Here we investigate the function of Eps15 by characterizing an important binding partner for its region containing EH domains; this protein, epsin, is closely related to the Xenopus mitotic phosphoprotein MP90 and has a ubiquitous tissue distribution. It is concentrated together with Eps15 in presynaptic nerve terminals, which are sites specialized for the clathrin-mediated endocytosis of synaptic vesicles. The central region of epsin binds AP-2 and its carboxy-terminal region binds Eps15. Epsin is associated with clathrin coats in situ, can be co-precipitated with AP-2 and Eps15 from brain extracts, but does not co-purify with clathrin coat components in a clathrin-coated vesicle fraction. When epsin function is disrupted, clathrin-mediated endocytosis is blocked. We propose that epsin may participate, together with Eps15, in the molecular rearrangement of the clathrin coats that are required for coated-pit invagination and vesicle fission.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adaptor Protein Complex alpha Subunits
  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing
  • Adaptor Proteins, Vesicular Transport
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Blotting, Northern
  • Brain / metabolism
  • CHO Cells
  • Calcium-Binding Proteins / metabolism
  • Calcium-Binding Proteins / physiology*
  • Carrier Proteins / chemistry
  • Carrier Proteins / physiology*
  • Clathrin / physiology*
  • Cricetinae
  • Endocytosis / physiology*
  • Membrane Proteins / metabolism
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Neuropeptides / chemistry
  • Neuropeptides / physiology*
  • Phosphoproteins / metabolism
  • Phosphoproteins / physiology*
  • Protein Binding
  • Rats
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / metabolism
  • Transfection
  • Vesicular Transport Proteins*

Substances

  • Adaptor Protein Complex alpha Subunits
  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing
  • Adaptor Proteins, Vesicular Transport
  • Calcium-Binding Proteins
  • Carrier Proteins
  • Clathrin
  • Eps15-rs protein, mouse
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Neuropeptides
  • Phosphoproteins
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • Vesicular Transport Proteins
  • epsin

Associated data

  • GENBANK/AF018261