PROSITE documentation PDOC00761 [for PROSITE entry PS00991]

Clathrin adaptor complexes medium chain signatures

Clathrin coated vesicles (CCV) mediate intracellular membrane traffic such as receptor mediated endocytosis. In addition to clathrin, the CCV are composed of a number of other components including oligomeric complexes which are known as adaptor or clathrin assembly proteins (AP) complexes [1]. The adaptor complexes are believed to interact with the cytoplasmic tails of membrane proteins, leading to their selection and concentration. In mammals two type of adaptor complexes are known: AP-1 which is associated with the Golgi complex and AP-2 which is associated with the plasma membrane. Both AP-1 and AP-2 are heterotetramers that consist of two large chains - the adaptins - (γ and β' in AP-1; α and β in AP-2); a medium chain (AP47 in AP-1; AP50 in AP-2) and a small chain (AP19 in AP-1; AP17 in AP-2).

The medium chains of AP-1 and AP-2 are evolutionary related proteins of about 50 Kd. Homologs of AP47 and AP50 have also been found in Caenorhabditis elegans (genes unc-101 and ap50) [2] and yeast (gene APM1 or YAP54) [3].

Some more divergent, but clearly evolutionary related proteins have also been found in yeast: APM2 and YBR288c.

As signature patterns, we selected two conserved regions, one located in the N-terminal region, the other from the central section of these proteins.