ERM proteins: The missing actin linkers in clathrin-mediated endocytosis
Posted on: 4 May 2018
Preprint posted on 25 April 2018
ERM… we’ve been here all along! Identification of actin-binding ERM proteins as components of the clathrin endocytic machinery.
Selected by Nicola Stevenson
Categories: cell biology
Importance
It has long been known that actin recruitment is required at sites of clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME) to help promote vesicle formation and dynamin-dependent scission from the plasma membrane. The way in which actin is recruited to the clathrin-coated pits has, however, remained elusive. For the first time, this study demonstrates that actin-binding ERM family proteins are recruited to clathrin-coated pits in the very early stages of their formation. As ERM proteins are capable of simultaneously binding both actin and cell surface receptors internalised by CME, these proteins could provide the missing physical link between actin and the clathrin machinery.
I chose this paper to PreLight as the discovery of a new component of the clathrin coat machinery is quite remarkable considering how long and extensively these structures have been studied, especially one that fills a long-standing hole in our model of events at these sites.
Key finding
The clathrin adapter AP2 is a multi-subunit protein complex found on the cytoplasmic side of the plasma membrane where it binds to both clathrin and transmembrane receptors to coordinate CME. In this study the authors use a GFP-tagged version of AP2 and a combination of TIRF microscopy and biochemistry to monitor interactions and events occurring in clathrin coated pits at the cell surface. The key findings are:
- ERM proteins co-precipitate and colocalise with the clathrin adapter AP2
- Inhibition of ERM protein function with both an inhibitor and by RNAi negatively impacts the rate of clathrin pit formation and increases the number of arrested AP2 positive structures in a comparable manner to actin inhibition
- The ERM protein ezrin is recruited to clathrin coated pits at the very early stages of their formation, coinciding with the first burst of actin recruitment.
Given the ability of ERM proteins to simultaneously bind actin and transmembrane receptors (with their C-terminal and FERM domains respectively) the authors conclude that ERM proteins are very likely the missing factors responsible for recruiting actin to clathrin coated pits and are required for efficient CME.
Future questions
- Is receptor binding required to recruit the ERM proteins to the clathrin coated pits?
- Do ERM proteins help to cluster receptors prior to CME?
- Are ERM proteins recruited to all clathrin coated pits, or are they required for a certain subset of events involving particular cargo?
- It will also be important to consider how ERM protein function at the cell cortex may affect clathrin-mediated endocytosis.
(No Ratings Yet)Sign up to customise the site to your preferences and to receive alerts
Register hereAlso in the cell biology category:
Restoring mechanophenotype reverts malignant properties of ECM-enriched vocal fold cancer
Teodora Piskova
Germplasm stability in zebrafish requires maternal Tdrd6a and Tdrd6c
Justin Gutkowski
Leukocytes use endothelial membrane tunnels to extravasate the vasculature
Felipe Del Valle Batalla
preLists in the cell biology category:
November in preprints – the CellBio edition
This is the first community-driven preList! A group of preLighters, with expertise in different areas of cell biology, have worked together to create this preprint reading lists for researchers with an interest in cell biology. Categories include: 1) cancer cell biology 2) cell cycle and division 3) cell migration and cytoskeleton 4) cell organelles and organisation 5) cell signalling and mechanosensing 6) genetics/gene expression
| List by | Felipe Del Valle Batalla et al. |
BSCB-Biochemical Society 2024 Cell Migration meeting
This preList features preprints that were discussed and presented during the BSCB-Biochemical Society 2024 Cell Migration meeting in Birmingham, UK in April 2024. Kindly put together by Sara Morais da Silva, Reviews Editor at Journal of Cell Science.
| List by | Reinier Prosee |
‘In preprints’ from Development 2022-2023
A list of the preprints featured in Development's 'In preprints' articles between 2022-2023
| List by | Alex Eve, Katherine Brown |
preLights peer support – preprints of interest
This is a preprint repository to organise the preprints and preLights covered through the 'preLights peer support' initiative.
| List by | preLights peer support |
The Society for Developmental Biology 82nd Annual Meeting
This preList is made up of the preprints discussed during the Society for Developmental Biology 82nd Annual Meeting that took place in Chicago in July 2023.
| List by | Joyce Yu, Katherine Brown |
CSHL 87th Symposium: Stem Cells
Preprints mentioned by speakers at the #CSHLsymp23
| List by | Alex Eve |
Journal of Cell Science meeting ‘Imaging Cell Dynamics’
This preList highlights the preprints discussed at the JCS meeting 'Imaging Cell Dynamics'. The meeting was held from 14 - 17 May 2023 in Lisbon, Portugal and was organised by Erika Holzbaur, Jennifer Lippincott-Schwartz, Rob Parton and Michael Way.
| List by | Helen Zenner |
9th International Symposium on the Biology of Vertebrate Sex Determination
This preList contains preprints discussed during the 9th International Symposium on the Biology of Vertebrate Sex Determination. This conference was held in Kona, Hawaii from April 17th to 21st 2023.
| List by | Martin Estermann |
Alumni picks – preLights 5th Birthday
This preList contains preprints that were picked and highlighted by preLights Alumni - an initiative that was set up to mark preLights 5th birthday. More entries will follow throughout February and March 2023.
| List by | Sergio Menchero et al. |
CellBio 2022 – An ASCB/EMBO Meeting
This preLists features preprints that were discussed and presented during the CellBio 2022 meeting in Washington, DC in December 2022.
| List by | Nadja Hümpfer et al. |
Fibroblasts
The advances in fibroblast biology preList explores the recent discoveries and preprints of the fibroblast world. Get ready to immerse yourself with this list created for fibroblasts aficionados and lovers, and beyond. Here, my goal is to include preprints of fibroblast biology, heterogeneity, fate, extracellular matrix, behavior, topography, single-cell atlases, spatial transcriptomics, and their matrix!
| List by | Osvaldo Contreras |
EMBL Synthetic Morphogenesis: From Gene Circuits to Tissue Architecture (2021)
A list of preprints mentioned at the #EESmorphoG virtual meeting in 2021.
| List by | Alex Eve |
FENS 2020
A collection of preprints presented during the virtual meeting of the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS) in 2020
| List by | Ana Dorrego-Rivas |
Planar Cell Polarity – PCP
This preList contains preprints about the latest findings on Planar Cell Polarity (PCP) in various model organisms at the molecular, cellular and tissue levels.
| List by | Ana Dorrego-Rivas |
BioMalPar XVI: Biology and Pathology of the Malaria Parasite
[under construction] Preprints presented at the (fully virtual) EMBL BioMalPar XVI, 17-18 May 2020 #emblmalaria
| List by | Dey Lab, Samantha Seah |
1
Cell Polarity
Recent research from the field of cell polarity is summarized in this list of preprints. It comprises of studies focusing on various forms of cell polarity ranging from epithelial polarity, planar cell polarity to front-to-rear polarity.
| List by | Yamini Ravichandran |
TAGC 2020
Preprints recently presented at the virtual Allied Genetics Conference, April 22-26, 2020. #TAGC20
| List by | Maiko Kitaoka et al. |
3D Gastruloids
A curated list of preprints related to Gastruloids (in vitro models of early development obtained by 3D aggregation of embryonic cells). Updated until July 2021.
| List by | Paul Gerald L. Sanchez and Stefano Vianello |
ECFG15 – Fungal biology
Preprints presented at 15th European Conference on Fungal Genetics 17-20 February 2020 Rome
| List by | Hiral Shah |
ASCB EMBO Annual Meeting 2019
A collection of preprints presented at the 2019 ASCB EMBO Meeting in Washington, DC (December 7-11)
| List by | Madhuja Samaddar et al. |
EMBL Seeing is Believing – Imaging the Molecular Processes of Life
Preprints discussed at the 2019 edition of Seeing is Believing, at EMBL Heidelberg from the 9th-12th October 2019
| List by | Dey Lab |
Autophagy
Preprints on autophagy and lysosomal degradation and its role in neurodegeneration and disease. Includes molecular mechanisms, upstream signalling and regulation as well as studies on pharmaceutical interventions to upregulate the process.
| List by | Sandra Malmgren Hill |
Lung Disease and Regeneration
This preprint list compiles highlights from the field of lung biology.
| List by | Rob Hynds |
Cellular metabolism
A curated list of preprints related to cellular metabolism at Biorxiv by Pablo Ranea Robles from the Prelights community. Special interest on lipid metabolism, peroxisomes and mitochondria.
| List by | Pablo Ranea Robles |
BSCB/BSDB Annual Meeting 2019
Preprints presented at the BSCB/BSDB Annual Meeting 2019
| List by | Dey Lab |
MitoList
This list of preprints is focused on work expanding our knowledge on mitochondria in any organism, tissue or cell type, from the normal biology to the pathology.
| List by | Sandra Franco Iborra |
Biophysical Society Annual Meeting 2019
Few of the preprints that were discussed in the recent BPS annual meeting at Baltimore, USA
| List by | Joseph Jose Thottacherry |
ASCB/EMBO Annual Meeting 2018
This list relates to preprints that were discussed at the recent ASCB conference.
| List by | Dey Lab, Amanda Haage |