Structure of an auxilin-bound clathrin coat and its implications for the mechanism of uncoating

Dissection of Swa2p/auxilin domain requirements for cochaperoning Hsp70 clathrin-uncoating activity in vivo

The auxilin family of J-domain proteins load Hsp70 onto clathrin-coated vesicles (CCVs) to drive uncoating. In vitro, auxilin function requires its ability to bind clathrin and stimulate Hsp70 ATPase activity via its J-domain. To test these requirements in vivo, we performed a mutational analysis of Swa2p, the yeast auxilin ortholog. Swa2p is a modular protein with three N-terminal clathrin-binding (CB) motifs, a ubiquitin association (UBA) domain, a tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR) domain, and a C-terminal J-domain. In vitro, clathrin binding is mediated by multiple weak interactions, but a Swa2p truncation lacking two CB motifs and the UBA domain retains nearly full function in vivo. Deletion of all CB motifs strongly abrogates clathrin disassembly but does not eliminate Swa2p function in vivo. Surprisingly, mutation of the invariant HPD motif within the J-domain to AAA only partially affects Swa2p function. Similarly, a TPR point mutation (G388R) causes a modest phenotype. However, Swa2p function is abolished when these TPR and J mutations are combined. The TPR and J-domains are not functionally redundant because deletion of either domain renders Swa2p nonfunctional. These data suggest that the TPR and J-domains collaborate in a bipartite interaction with Hsp70 to regulate its activity in clathrin disassembly.

A burst of auxilin recruitment determines the onset of clathrin-coated vesicle uncoating

Clathrin-coated pits assemble on a membrane and pinch off as coated vesicles. The released vesicles then rapidly lose their clathrin coats in a process mediated by the ATPase Hsc70, recruited by auxilin, a J-domain-containing cofactor. How is the uncoating process regulated? We find that during coat assembly small and variable amounts of auxilin are recruited transiently but that a much larger burst of association occurs after the peak of dynamin signal, during the transition between membrane constriction and vesicle budding. We show that the auxilin burst depends on domains of the protein likely to interact with lipid head groups. We conclude that the timing of auxilin recruitment determines the onset of uncoating. We propose that, when a diffusion barrier is established at the constricting neck of a fully formed coated pit and immediately after vesicle budding, accumulation of a specific lipid can recruit sufficient auxilin molecules to trigger uncoating.

A small loop in the capsid protein of Moloney murine leukemia virus controls assembly of spherical cores

We report the identification of a novel domain in the Gag protein of Moloney murine leukemia virus (MoLV) that is important for the formation of spherical cores. Analysis of 18 insertional mutations in the N-terminal domain of the capsid protein (CA) identified 3 that were severely defective for viral assembly and release. Transmission electron microscopy of cells producing these mutants showed assembly of Gag proteins in large, flat or dome-shaped patches at the plasma membrane. Spherical cores were not formed, and viral particles were not released. This late assembly/release block was partially rescued by wild-type virus. All three mutations localized to the small loop between alpha-helices 4 and 5 of CA, analogous to the cyclophilin A-binding loop of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 CA. In the X-ray structure of the hexameric form of MLV CA, this loop is located at the periphery of the hexamer. The phenotypes of mutations in this loop suggest that formation of a planar lattice of Gag is unhindered by mutations in the loop. However, the lack of progression of these planar structures to spherical ones suggests that mutations in this loop may prevent formation of pentamers or of stable pentamer-hexamer interactions, which are essential for the formation of a closed, spherical core. This region in CA, focused to a few residues of a small loop, may offer a novel therapeutic target for retroviral diseases.

SMAP2, a novel ARF GTPase-activating protein, interacts with clathrin and clathrin assembly protein and functions on the AP-1-positive early endosome/trans-Golgi network

We recently reported that SMAP1, a GTPase-activating protein (GAP) for Arf6, directly interacts with clathrin and regulates the clathrin-dependent endocytosis of transferrin receptors from the plasma membrane. Here, we identified a SMAP1 homologue that we named SMAP2. Like SMAP1, SMAP2 exhibits GAP activity and interacts with clathrin heavy chain (CHC). Furthermore, we show that SMAP2 interacts with the clathrin assembly protein CALM. Unlike SMAP1, however, SMAP2 appears to be a regulator of Arf1 in vivo, because cells transfected with a GAP-negative SMAP2 mutant were resistant to brefeldin A. SMAP2 colocalized with the adaptor proteins for clathrin AP-1 and EpsinR on the early endosomes/trans-Golgi-network (TGN). Moreover, overexpression of SMAP2 delayed the accumulation of TGN38/46 molecule on the TGN. This suggests that SMAP2 functions in the retrograde, early endosome-to-TGN pathway in a clathrin- and AP-1-dependent manner. Thus, the SMAP gene family constitutes an important ArfGAP subfamily, with each SMAP member exerting both common and distinct functions in vesicle trafficking.

The diverse roles of J-proteins, the obligate Hsp70 co-chaperone

Hsp70s and J-proteins, which constitute one of the most ubiquitous types of molecular chaperone machineries, function in a wide variety of cellular processes. J-proteins play a central role by stimulating an Hsp70's ATPase activity, thereby stabilizing its interaction with client proteins. However, while all J-proteins serve this core purpose, individual proteins are both structurally and functionally diverse. Some, but not all, J-proteins interact with client polypeptides themselves, facilitating their binding to an Hsp70. Some J-proteins have many client proteins, others only one. Certain J-proteins, while not others, are tethered to particular locations within a cellular compartment, thus "recruiting" Hsp70s to the vicinity of their clients. Here we review recent work on the diverse family of J-proteins, outlining emerging themes concerning their function.

Life of a clathrin coat: insights from clathrin and AP structures

Membrane sorting between secretory and endocytic organelles is predominantly controlled by small carrier vesicles or tubules that have specific protein coats on their cytoplasmic surfaces. Clathrin-clathrin-adaptor coats function in many steps of intracellular transport and are the most extensively studied of all transport-vesicle coats. In recent years, the determination of structures of clathrin assemblies by electron microscopy, of domains of clathrin and of its adaptors has improved our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of clathrin-coated-vesicle assembly and disassembly.

The DnaJ-domain protein RME-8 functions in endosomal trafficking

Through a proteomic analysis of clathrin-coated vesicles from rat liver we identified the mammalian homolog of receptor-mediated endocytosis 8 (RME-8), a DnaJ domain-containing protein originally identified in a screen for endocytic defects in Caenorhabditis elegans. Mammalian RME-8 has a broad tissue distribution, and affinity selection assays reveal the ubiquitous chaperone Hsc70, which regulates protein conformation at diverse membrane sites as the major binding partner for its DnaJ domain. RME-8 is tightly associated with microsomal membranes and co-localizes with markers of the endosomal system. Small interfering RNA-mediated knock down of RME-8 has no influence on transferrin endocytosis but causes a reduction in epidermal growth factor internalization. Interestingly, and consistent with a localization to endosomes, knock down of RME-8 also leads to alterations in the trafficking of the cation-independent mannose 6-phosphate receptor and improper sorting of the lysosomal hydrolase cathepsin D. Our data demonstrate that RME-8 functions in intracellular trafficking and provides the first evidence of a functional role for a DnaJ domain-bearing co-chaperone on endosomes.

Common principles in clathrin-mediated sorting at the Golgi and the plasma membrane

Clathrin-mediated vesicular trafficking events underpin the vectorial transfer of macromolecules between several eukaryotic membrane-bound compartments. Classical models for coat operation, focused principally on interactions between clathrin, the heterotetrameric adaptor complexes, and cargo molecules, fail to account for the full complexity of the coat assembly and sorting process. New data reveal that targeting of clathrin adaptor complexes is generally supported by phosphoinositides, that cargo recognition by heterotetrameric adaptors depends on phosphorylation-driven conformational alterations, and that dedicated clathrin-associated sorting proteins (CLASPs) exist to promote the selective trafficking of specific categories of cargo. A host of accessory factors also participate in coat polymerization events, and the independently folded appendage domains that project off the heterotetrameric adaptor core function as recruitment platforms that appear to oversee assembly operations. It is also now clear that focal polymerization of branched actin microfilaments contributes to clathrin-coated vesicle assembly and movement at both plasma membrane and Golgi sites. This improved appreciation of the complex mechanisms governing clathrin-dependent sorting events reveals several common principles of clathrin operation at the Golgi and the plasma membrane.

Exchange of clathrin, AP2 and epsin on clathrin-coated pits in permeabilized tissue culture cells

Clathrin and clathrin adaptors on clathrin-coated pits exchange with cytosolic clathrin and clathrin adaptors in vivo. This exchange might require the molecular chaperone Hsc70 and J-domain-protein auxilin, which, with ATP, uncoat clathrin-coated vesicles both in vivo and in vitro. We find that, although Hsc70 and ATP alone could not uncoat clathrin-coated pits, further addition of auxilin caused rapid uncoating of clathrin but not AP2 and epsin. By contrast, cytosol uncoats clathrin, AP2 and epsin from pits in permeabilized cells, and, concomitantly, these proteins in the cytosol rebind to the same pits, establishing that, like in vivo, these proteins exchange in permeabilized cells. Dissociation and exchange of clathrin in permeabilized cells can be prevented by inhibiting Hsc70 activity. The presence of clathrin-exchange in the permeabilized system substantiates our in vivo observations, and is consistent with the view that Hsc70 and auxilin are involved in the clathrin-exchange that occurs as clathrin-coated pits invaginate in vivo.

New Faces of the Familiar Clathrin Lattice

The clathrin triskelion self-assembles into a lattice that coats transport vesicles participating in several key membrane traffic pathways. A new model of a clathrin lattice at approximately 8 angstrom resolution, generated by Fotin et al. (Nature 2004;432:573) confirmed the basic structural features of clathrin that were defined over many years of biochemical and structural analysis. In addition, new structural features of the clathrin trimerization domain were modelled for the first time, and the predictions correlated well with previous biochemical studies. A second model, placing auxilin within the lattice suggested a possible lattice contact targeted during lattice disassembly (Fotin et al. Nature 2004;432:649). This contact predicts interactions of the newly modelled trimerization domain with a newly defined extension of the clathrin triskelion, the ankle domain. These aspects of the new models were emphasized in the published reports describing them and in recent commentary (Brodsky, Nature 2004;432:568). Also emerging from the new models is a better picture of how the clathrin structure is distributed throughout the lattice, allowing the first predictions of interacting molecular interfaces contributing to contacts in the assembled lattice. The focus of this interchange is to emphasize these additional features revealed by the recently published models from Fotin and colleagues.

Exiting the Endoplasmic Reticulum

Vesicular transport from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to the Golgi complex constitutes the initial step in protein secretion. COPII-coated vesicles mediate the export of newly synthesized proteins from the ER, and this transport step is coupled with COPI-mediated retrograde traffic to form a transport circuit that supports the compositional asymmetry of the ER-Golgi system. Biochemical and structural studies have advanced our understanding of the mechanisms that control vesicle formation and cargo-protein capture. Recent work has highlighted the function of transitional ER regions in specifying the location of COPII budding.

Electron cryomicroscopy of biological machines at subnanometer resolution

Advances in electron cryomicroscopy (cryo-EM) have made possible the structural determination of large biological machines in the resolution range of 6-9 angstroms. Rice dwarf virus and the acrosomal bundle represent two distinct types of machines amenable to cryo-EM investigations at subnanometer resolutions. However, calculating the density map is only the first step, and much analysis remains to extract structural insights and the mechanism of action in these machines. This paper will review the computational and visualization methodologies necessary for analysis (structure mining) of the computed cryo-EM maps of these machines. These steps include component segmentation, averaging based on local symmetry among components, density connectivity trace, incorporation of bioinformatics analysis, and fitting of high-resolution component data, if available. The consequences of these analyses can not only identify accurately some of the secondary structure elements of the molecular components in machines but also suggest structural mechanisms related to their biological functions.

Visualization of the Binding of Hsc70 ATPase to Clathrin Baskets

Clathrin assembly into coated pits and vesicles is promoted by accessory proteins such as auxilin and AP180, and disassembly is effected by the Hsc70 ATPase. These interactions may be mimicked in vitro by the assembly and disassembly of clathrin "baskets." The chimera C58J is a minimal construct capable of supporting both reactions; it consists of the C58 moiety of AP180, which facilitates clathrin assembly, fused with the J domain of auxilin, which recruits Hsc70 to baskets. We studied the process of disassembly by using cryo-electron microscopy to identify the initial binding site of Hsc70 on clathrin-C58J baskets at pH 6, under which conditions disassembly does not proceed further. Hsc70 interactions involve two sites: (i) its major interaction is with the sides of spars of the clathrin lattice, close to the triskelion hubs and (ii) there is another interaction at a site at the N-terminal hooks of the clathrin heavy chains, presumably via the J domain of C58J. We propose that individual triskelions may be extricated from the clathrin lattice by the concerted action of up to six Hsc70 molecules, which intercalate between clathrin leg segments, prying them apart. Three Hsc70s remain bound to the dissociated triskelion, close to its trimerization hub.

Cycling of synaptic vesicles: how far? How fast!

Synaptic transmission is based on the regulated exocytotic fusion of synaptic vesicles filled with neurotransmitter. In order to sustain neurotransmitter release, these vesicles need to be recycled locally. Recent data suggest that two tracks for the cycling of synaptic vesicles coexist: a slow track in which vesicles fuse completely with the presynaptic plasma membrane, followed by clathrin-mediated recycling of the vesicular components, and a fast track that may correspond to the transient opening and closing of a fusion pore. In this review, we attempt to provide an overview of the components involved in both tracks of vesicle cycling, as well as to identify possible mechanistic links between these two pathways.

Molecular model for a complete clathrin lattice from electron cryomicroscopy

Clathrin-coated vesicles are important vehicles of membrane traffic in cells. We report the structure of a clathrin lattice at subnanometre resolution, obtained from electron cryomicroscopy of coats assembled in vitro. We trace most of the 1,675-residue clathrin heavy chain by fitting known crystal structures of two segments, and homology models of the rest, into the electron microscopy density map. We also define the position of the central helical segment of the light chain. A helical tripod, the carboxy-terminal parts of three heavy chains, projects inward from the vertex of each three-legged clathrin triskelion, linking that vertex to 'ankles' of triskelions centred two vertices away. Analysis of coats with distinct diameters shows an invariant pattern of contacts in the neighbourhood of each vertex, with more variable interactions along the extended parts of the triskelion 'legs'. These invariant local interactions appear to stabilize the lattice, allowing assembly and uncoating to be controlled by events at a few specific sites.