Changes: Receptor-mediated endocytosis

Latest revision as of 20:14, 6 March 2010

Biological: Behavioural genetics · Evolutionary psychology · Neuroanatomy · Neurochemistry · Neuroendocrinology · Neuroscience · Psychoneuroimmunology · Physiological Psychology · Psychopharmacology (Index, Outline)

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Mechanism of clathrin-dependent endocytosis.

Receptor-mediated endocytosis (RME), also called clathrin-dependent endocytosis, is a process by which cells internalize molecules (endocytosis) by the inward budding of plasma membrane vesicles containing proteins with receptor sites specific to the molecules being internalized.

Process

After the binding of a ligand to plasma membrane spanning receptors, a signal is sent through the membrane, leading to membrane coating, and formation of a membrane invagination. The receptor and its ligand are then opsonized in clathrin-coated vesicles. Once opsonized, the clathrin-coated vesicle uncoats (a pre-requisite for the vesicle to fuse with other membranes) and individual vesicles fuse to form the early endosome. Since the receptor is internalized with the ligand, the system is saturable and uptake will decline until receptors are recycled to the surface. Common for biology.

Function

The function of receptor-mediated endocytosis is diverse. It is widely used for the specific uptake of certain substances required by the cell (examples include LDL via the LDL receptor or iron via transferrin). The role of receptor-mediated endocytosis is also well recognized in the downregulation of transmembrane signal transduction. The activated receptor becomes internalised and is transported to late endosomes and lysosomes for degradation. However, receptor-mediated endocytosis is also actively implicated in transducing signals from the cell periphery to the nucleus. This became apparent when it was found that the association and formation of specific signaling complexes is required for the effective signaling of hormones (e.g. EGF). Additionally it has been proposed that the directed transport of active signaling complexes to the nucleus might be required to enable signaling as random diffusion is too slow (Howe, 2005) and mechanisms permanently downregulating incoming signals are strong enough to shutdown signaling completely without additional signals transducing mechanisms (Kholodenko, 2003).

Experiments

Using fluorescent dyes to stain the plasma membrane, it is possible to follow the internalization of plasma membrane fragments by microscopy.

Since the process is non-specific, the ligand can be a carrier for larger molecules. If the target cell has a known, specific pinocytotic receptor, drugs can be attached and will be internalized.

Specific Properties

induction within minutes of exposure to excess ligand.
the formation of these vesicles is sensitive to inhibition by wortmannin
the initiation of vesicle formation can be delayed/inhibited by temperature variations

References

Template:No footnotes

Alberts, Bruce; et al. (2004). Essential Cell Biology, 2nd Edition, New York, NY: Garland Science. URL accessed December 2006.
Becker, Wayne (2005). World of the Cell, San Francisco: Benjamin Cummings.
Howe, Charles L. (2005). Modeling the Signaling Endosome Hypothesis: Why a Drive to the Nucleus Is Better Than a (Random) Walk. Theor. Biol. Med. Mod 2: 43. 2:43.
Kholodenko, Boris N. (2003). Four-Dimensional Organisation of Protein Kinase Signaling Cascades: the Roles of Diffusion, Endocytosis and Molecular Motors. J. Exp. Biol 206: 2073. 206, 2073-2082.
Salazar MD, Ratnam M (March 2007). The folate receptor: what does it promise in tissue-targeted therapeutics?. Cancer Metastasis Rev. 26 (1): 141–52.

External links

CytoChemistry.net- A lecture on RME with some nice pictures

This page uses Creative Commons Licensed content from Wikipedia (view authors).

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 ==Function==
-The function of receptor-mediated endocytosis is  diverse. It is widely used for the specific uptake of certain substances required by the cell (examples include [[LDL]] via the [[LDL receptor]] or iron via [[transferrin]]). The role of receptor-mediated endocytosis is also well recognized in the downregulation of transmembrane signal transduction. The activated receptor becomes internalised and is transported to late endosomes and [[lysosomes]] for degradation. However, receptor-mediated endocytosis is also actively implicated in transducing signals from the cell periphery to the nucleus. This became apparent when it was found that the association and formation of specific signaling complexes is required for the effective signaling of hormones (e.g. [[Epidermal growth factor|EGF]]). Additionally it has been proposed that the directed transport of active signaling complexes to the nucleus might be required to enable signaling as random [[diffusion]] is too slow (Howe, 2005) and mechanisms permanently downregulating incoming signals are strong enough to shutdown signaling completely without additional signals transducing mechanisms (Kholodenko, 2003).
+The function of receptor-mediated endocytosis is  diverse. It is widely used for the specific uptake of certain substances required by the cell (examples include [[LDL]] via the [[LDL receptor]] or iron via [[transferrin]]). The role of receptor-mediated endocytosis is also well recognized in the [[downregulation]] of transmembrane signal transduction. The activated receptor becomes internalised and is transported to late endosomes and [[lysosomes]] for degradation. However, receptor-mediated endocytosis is also actively implicated in transducing signals from the cell periphery to the nucleus. This became apparent when it was found that the association and formation of specific signaling complexes is required for the effective signaling of [[hormones]] (e.g. [[Epidermal growth factor|EGF]]). Additionally it has been proposed that the directed transport of active signaling complexes to the nucleus might be required to enable signaling as random [[diffusion]] is too slow (Howe, 2005) and mechanisms permanently downregulating incoming signals are strong enough to shutdown signaling completely without additional signals transducing mechanisms (Kholodenko, 2003).
 ==Experiments==