Polymerization of clathrin protomers into basket structures.

The effects of pH, ionic strength, temperature, and protein concentration on the rate of clathrin (8 S) polymerization to form coat (or basket) structures (approximately 300 S) have been measured by turbidity. The extent of polymerization has also been evaluated under the same experimental conditions by analytical centrifugation. The characteristic polygonal structure of the re-formed coat was confirmed by electron microscopy. The rate of polymerization is sensitive to all the variables investigated. The reaction is very slow at pH approximately 7 and becomes very rapid by pH approximately 6. The polymerization is readily reversed by increasing the pH slightly. The time dependence of the polymerization does not conform to either a first- or a second-order reaction but to a higher order. Increasing temperature increases the rate but decreases the extent of reaction. Increasing the salt concentration decreases the rate. The effects of several salts on the rate follow the Hofmeister ranking, with the exception of sulfate.