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Three‐dimensional structure of clathrin cages in ice.
Author(s) -
Vigers G.P.,
Crowther R.A.,
Pearse B.M.
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
the embo journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 7.484
H-Index - 392
eISSN - 1460-2075
pISSN - 0261-4189
DOI - 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1986.tb04242.x
Subject(s) - biology , clathrin , biophysics , microbiology and biotechnology , biochemistry , endocytosis , receptor
We have collected tilt series of electron micrographs from unstained clathrin cages embedded in vitreous ice. From these micrographs we have generated three‐dimensional reconstructions of individual hexagonal barrels, which show details of the internal structure. Four types of preparation have been examined: (i) coated vesicles; (ii) cages reassembled from clathrin heavy and light chains; (iii) reassembled cages treated with elastase to remove the light chains; and (iv) reassembled cages treated with trypsin to remove the light chains and the terminal domains of the clathrin heavy chains. In the intact and elastase‐treated cages, the clathrin extends from the vertices into the interior of the polyhedron and forms an inner shell of material. Limited digestion with trypsin removes the inner shell, which indicates that this material corresponds to the terminal domains of the clathrin heavy chains.