Clathrin is a proteic complex found in coated pits and vesicles, organelles which are important in membrane trafficking functions such as endocytosis and Golgi sorting.
Clathrin is the main structural component of the lattice covering the cytoplasmic face of the coated pits and coated vesicles in which specific macromolecules are entrapped in the process of receptor-mediated endocytosis.
Clathrin is a large, soluble protein composed of heavy chains (CLTC) (molecular size, about 192 kD) and light chains CLTA and CLTB (molecular size, about 32-38 kD).
Components
| CLTA | CLTB | CLTC |
Pathology
fusion gene in inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors (IMF)
Epsin-4 gene (EPN4) on chromosome 5q, which encodes the clathrin-associated protein enthoprotin, is involved in the genetic susceptibility to schizophrenia (15793701)
See also
clathrin-coated vesicles
clathrin-coated pits
clathrin-mediated endocytosis
clathrin adaptator proteins
References
Edeling MA, Smith C, Owen D. Life of a clathrin coat: insights from clathrin and AP structures. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol. 2006 Jan;7(1):32-44. PMID: 16493411
Brooksbank C. Endocytosis. Tent pegs for clathrin. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol. 2001 Mar;2(3):166. PMID: 11265244
McPherson PS. The endocytic machinery at an interface with the actin cytoskeleton: a dynamic, hip intersection. Trends Cell Biol. 2002 Jul;12(7):312-5. PMID: 12185847
Dell’Angelica EC. Clathrin-binding proteins: got a motif? Join the network. Trends Cell Biol. 2001 Aug;11(8):315-8. PMID: 11489622