title: Clathrin is not required for SNX-BAR-retromer-mediated carrier formation.
abstract: Clathrin has been implicated in retromer-mediated trafficking, but its precise function remains elusive. Given the importance of retromers for efficient endosomal sorting, we have sought to clarify the relationship between clathrin and the SNX-BAR retromer. We find that the retromer SNX-BARs do not interact directly or indirectly with clathrin. In addition, we observe that SNX-BAR-retromer tubules and carriers are not clathrin coated. Furthermore, perturbing clathrin function, by overexpressing a dominant-negative clathrin or through suppression of clathrin expression, has no detectable effect on the frequency of SNX-BAR-retromer tubulation. We propose that SNX-BAR-retromer-mediated membrane deformation and carrier formation does not require clathrin, and hence the role of clathrin in SNX-BAR-retromer function would appear to lie in pre-SNX-BAR-retromer cargo sorting.
authors.affiliation: Henry Wellcome Integrated Signalling Laboratories, School of Biochemistry, Medical Sciences Building, University Walk, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK.
authors.forename: Ian J
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: McGough
authors.forename: Peter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Cullen
mesh_terms: D002966:Clathrin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D047468:Immunoprecipitation; D034622:RNA Interference; D033921:Vesicular Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D002966:Clathrin; D033921:Vesicular Transport Proteins