AP-2 recruitment to synaptotagmin stimulated by tyrosine-based endocytic motifs.

Clathrin-mediated endocytosis is initiated by the recruitment of the clathrin adaptor protein AP-2 to the plasma membrane where the membrane protein synaptotagmin is thought to act as a docking site. AP-2 also interacts with endocytic motifs present in other cargo proteins. Peptides with a tyrosine-based endocytic motif stimulated binding of AP-2 to synaptotagmin and enhanced AP-2 recruitment to the plasma membrane of neuronal and non-neuronal cells. This suggests a mechanism by which nucleation of clathrin-coated pits is stimulated by the loading of cargo proteins.