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Molecular model for a complete clathrin lattice from electron cryomicroscopy

Author

Listed:
  • Alexander Fotin

    (Harvard Medical School)

  • Yifan Cheng

    (Harvard Medical School)

  • Piotr Sliz

    (Harvard Medical School, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute)

  • Nikolaus Grigorieff

    (Brandeis University)

  • Stephen C. Harrison

    (Harvard Medical School, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute)

  • Tomas Kirchhausen

    (Harvard Medical School)

  • Thomas Walz

    (Harvard Medical School)

Abstract

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.

Suggested Citation

  • Alexander Fotin & Yifan Cheng & Piotr Sliz & Nikolaus Grigorieff & Stephen C. Harrison & Tomas Kirchhausen & Thomas Walz, 2004. "Molecular model for a complete clathrin lattice from electron cryomicroscopy," Nature, Nature, vol. 432(7017), pages 573-579, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:432:y:2004:i:7017:d:10.1038_nature03079
    DOI: 10.1038/nature03079
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    Cited by:

    1. Kazuki Obashi & Kem A. Sochacki & Marie-Paule Strub & Justin W. Taraska, 2023. "A conformational switch in clathrin light chain regulates lattice structure and endocytosis at the plasma membrane of mammalian cells," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-15, December.

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