F
IPR000996

Clathrin light chain

InterPro entry
Short nameClathrin_L-chain

Description

Proteins synthesized on the ribosome and processed in the endoplasmic reticulum are transported from the Golgi apparatus to the trans-Golgi network (TGN), and from there via small carrier vesicles to their final destination compartment. These vesicles have specific coat proteins (such as clathrin or coatomer) that are important for cargo selection and direction of transport
[3]
. Clathrin coats contain both clathrin (acts as a scaffold) and adaptor complexes that link clathrin to receptors in coated vesicles. Clathrin-associated protein complexes are believed to interact with the cytoplasmic tails of membrane proteins, leading to their selection and concentration. The two major types of clathrin adaptor complexes are the heterotetrameric adaptor protein (AP) complexes, and the monomeric GGA (Golgi-localising, Gamma-adaptin ear domain homology, ARF-binding proteins) adaptors
[4, 2]
.

Clathrin is a trimer composed of three heavy chains and three light chains, each monomer projecting outwards like a leg; this three-legged structure is known as a triskelion
[8, 7]
. The heavy chains form the legs, their N-terminal β-propeller regions extending outwards, while their C-terminal α-α-superhelical regions form the central hub of the triskelion. Peptide motifs can bind between the β-propeller blades. The light chains appear to have a regulatory role, and may help orient the assembly and disassembly of clathrin coats as they interact with hsc70 uncoating ATPase
[6]
. Clathrin triskelia self-polymerise into a curved lattice by twisting individual legs together. The clathrin lattice forms around a vesicle as it buds from the TGN, plasma membrane or endosomes, acting to stabilise the vesicle and facilitate the budding process
[3]
. The multiple blades created when the triskelia polymerise are involved in multiple protein interactions, enabling the recruitment of different cargo adaptors and membrane attachment proteins
[5]
.

This entry represents clathrin light chains, which are more divergent in sequence than the heavy chains
[1]
. In higher eukaryotes, two genes encode distinct but related light chains, each of which can yield two separate forms via alternative splicing. In yeast there is a single light chain whose sequence is only distantly related to that of higher eukaryotes. Clathrin light chains have a conserved acidic N-terminal domain, a central coiled-coil domain and a conserved C-terminal domain.

References

1.Compromise of clathrin function and membrane association by clathrin light chain deletion. Wang J, Virta VC, Riddelle-Spencer K, O'Halloran TJ. Traffic 4, 891-901, (2003). View articlePMID: 14617352

2.Adaptins: the final recount. Boehm M, Bonifacino JS. Mol. Biol. Cell 12, 2907-20, (2001). View articlePMID: 11598180

3.COP and clathrin-coated vesicle budding: different pathways, common approaches. McMahon HT, Mills IG. Curr. Opin. Cell Biol. 16, 379-91, (2004). View articlePMID: 15261670

4.Do different endocytic pathways make different synaptic vesicles? Voglmaier SM, Edwards RH. Curr. Opin. Neurobiol. 17, 374-80, (2007). View articlePMID: 17449236

5.The cellular functions of clathrin. Royle SJ. Cell. Mol. Life Sci. 63, 1823-32, (2006). View articlePMID: 16699812

6.Clathrin light chain: importance of the conserved carboxy terminal domain to function in living cells. Wang J, Wang Y, O'Halloran TJ. Traffic 7, 824-32, (2006). View articlePMID: 16734666

7.Molecular structures of coat and coat-associated proteins: function follows form. Brett TJ, Traub LM. Curr. Opin. Cell Biol. 18, 395-406, (2006). View articlePMID: 16806884

8.New faces of the familiar clathrin lattice. Wilbur JD, Hwang PK, Brodsky FM. Traffic 6, 346-50, (2005). View articlePMID: 15752139

GO terms

Cross References

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