Clathrin is the major component of coated vesicles. It is a heterohexamer formed from three clathrin light chains and three heavy chains adopting a three-legged triskelion structure. To form coated vesicles, clathrin assembles into a polygonal lattice around the invaginating membrane, interacting with adaptors proteins which in-turn interact with the membrane. After membrane scission, the clatherin cage is disassembled from the vesicle. (Adapted from PMID:17702618).
Notes on Group
Drosophila has one clathrin light chain where as mammals and Dictyostelium have 2 light chains (Lca and b).
Source Material
The
CLATHRIN COMPLEX
Gene Group has been compiled using the following publication(s):
Rodal and Littleton, 2008
.