Coated pits act as molecular filters.
Two proteins--theta and H63 antigens--are found to be excluded from coated pits on fibroblast plasma membranes. Coated pits thus act as molecular filters, pinching off, into the cell, lipid vesicles containing a limited number of specific receptors but excluding other plasma membrane proteins. This constitutes part of a lipid flow cycle that was proposed earlier to explain the capping of crosslinked surface antigens.
D000818:Animals; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008560:Membrane Fluidity; D008563:Membrane Lipids / Q000378:metabolism; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008970:Molecular Weight; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D013696:Temperature
D000954:Antigens, Surface; D008563:Membrane Lipids; D008565:Membrane Proteins