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Double‐membrane gap junction internalization requires the clathrin‐mediated endocytic machinery
Author(s) -
Gumpert Anna M.,
Varco Joseph S.,
Baker Susan M.,
Piehl Michelle,
Falk Matthias M.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/j.febslet.2008.07.024
Subject(s) - endocytic cycle , clathrin , internalization , microbiology and biotechnology , endocytosis , dynamin , signal transducing adaptor protein , vesicle , clathrin adaptor proteins , biology , chemistry , cell , membrane , signal transduction , biochemistry
Direct cell–cell communication mediated by plasma membrane‐spanning gap junction (GJ) channels is vital to all aspects of cellular life. Obviously, GJ intercellular communication (GJIC) requires precise regulation, and it is known that controlled biosynthesis and degradation, and channel opening and closing (gating) are exploited. We discovered that cells internalize GJs in response to various stimuli. Here, we report that GJ internalization is a clathrin‐mediated endocytic process that utilizes the vesicle‐coat protein clathrin, the adaptor proteins adaptor protein complex 2 and disabled 2, and the GTPase dynamin. To our knowledge, we are first to report that the endocytic clathrin machinery can internalize double‐membrane vesicles into cells.