Recombinant Proteins
Product List
CLTA Human
Clathrin, Light Chain A Human Recombinant
CLTA is fused to a 24 amino acid His-tag at N-terminus & purified by proprietary chromatographic techniques.
CLTB Human
Clathrin, Light Chain B Human Recombinant
CLTB is fused to a 23 amino acid His-tag at N-terminus & purified by proprietary chromatographic techniques.
Introduction
Clathrin is a protein that plays a crucial role in the formation of coated vesicles, which are essential for intracellular trafficking. It was first isolated by Barbara Pearse in 1976 . Clathrin forms a triskelion shape composed of three clathrin heavy chains and three light chains. These triskelia interact to form a polyhedral lattice that surrounds the vesicle . Clathrin is classified based on its heavy and light chains, with two forms of light chains, designated as a and b .
Key Biological Properties: Clathrin is involved in the formation of coated vesicles, which are essential for the transport of molecules within cells . It assembles into polyhedral lattices that include curved football or basket shapes, flat lattices, or even tubular structures .
Expression Patterns and Tissue Distribution: The main clathrin heavy chain, located on chromosome 17 in humans, is found in all cells. A second clathrin heavy chain gene, on chromosome 22, is expressed in muscle .
Primary Biological Functions: Clathrin is best known for its role in clathrin-mediated endocytosis, which is essential for neurotransmission, signal transduction, and the regulation of many plasma membrane activities . It also participates in synaptic vesicle recycling, hormone desensitization, spermiogenesis, cell migration, and mitosis .
Role in Immune Responses and Pathogen Recognition: Clathrin-mediated endocytosis allows cells to mediate an immune response after sampling the extracellular environment . The endocytic pathway can be hijacked by viruses and other pathogens to gain entry into the cell during infection .
Mechanisms with Other Molecules and Cells: Clathrin polymerizes to act as a coat to mediate the internalization of hormones, nutrients, and receptors . It relies on adaptor proteins and complexes, such as adaptor protein 2 (AP2), to be recruited to the plasma membrane .
Binding Partners and Downstream Signaling Cascades: Clathrin interacts with various adaptor and accessory proteins, including dynamin, which mediates the scission of the vesicle . This process is essential for the recycling of synaptic vesicles and intracellular communication in the sensory and nervous systems .
Regulatory Mechanisms: Clathrin-mediated endocytosis involves over 50 proteins that generate clathrin-coated endocytic vesicles . Regulatory components include proteins of the Wiskott–Aldrich syndrome protein (WASP) family, which are key activators of actin filament nucleation .
Transcriptional Regulation and Post-Translational Modifications: The expression and activity of clathrin are controlled by various regulatory mechanisms, including transcriptional regulation and post-translational modifications .
Biomedical Research: Clathrin is used to study intracellular trafficking and vesicle formation, which are essential for understanding cellular processes and disease mechanisms .
Diagnostic Tools and Therapeutic Strategies: Clathrin-mediated endocytosis is a target for developing therapeutic interventions for conditions involving defects in endocytosis . Inhibition of clathrin and dynamin offers potential therapeutic strategies for neurological diseases .
Role Throughout the Life Cycle: Clathrin plays a role in various stages of the life cycle, from development to aging and disease . It is involved in synaptic vesicle recycling, hormone desensitization, spermiogenesis, cell migration, and mitosis .
Clathrin’s remarkable ability to form diverse lattice structures contributes to its multiple cellular functions, making it a key player in cellular processes throughout the life cycle .
