Actin binding by Hip1 (huntingtin-interacting protein 1) and Hip1R (Hip1-related protein) is regulated by clathrin light chain

The huntingtin-interacting protein family members (Hip1 and Hip1R in mammals and Sla2p in yeast) link clathrin-mediated membrane traffic to actin cytoskeleton dynamics. Genetic data in yeast have implicated the light chain subunit of clathrin in regulating this link. To test this hypothesis, the biophysical properties of mammalian Hip1 and Hip1R and their interaction with clathrin light chain and actin were analyzed. The coiled-coil domains (clathrin light chain-binding) of Hip1 and Hip1R were found to be stable homodimers with no propensity to heterodimerize in vitro. Homodimers were also predominant in vivo, accounting for cellular segregation of Hip1 and Hip1R functions. Coiled-coil domains of Hip1 and Hip1R differed in their stability and flexibility, correlating with slightly different affinities for clathrin light chain and more markedly with effects of clathrin light chain binding on Hip protein-actin interactions. Clathrin light chain binding induced a compact conformation of both Hip1 and Hip1R and significantly reduced actin binding by their THATCH domains. Thus, clathrin is a negative regulator of Hip-actin interactions. These observations necessarily change models proposed for Hip protein function.     

The actin-binding protein Hip1R associates with clathrin during early stages of endocytosis and promotes clathrin assembly in vitro

Huntingtin-interacting protein 1 related (Hip1R) is a novel component of clathrin-coated pits and vesicles and is a mammalian homologue of Sla2p, an actin-binding protein important for both actin organization and endocytosis in yeast. Here, we demonstrate that Hip1R binds via its putative central coiled-coil domain to clathrin, and provide evidence that Hip1R and clathrin are associated in vivo at sites of endocytosis. First, real-time analysis of Hip1R-YFP and DsRed-clathrin light chain (LC) in live cells revealed that these proteins show almost identical temporal and spatial regulation at the cell cortex. Second, at the ultrastructure level, immunogold labeling of 'unroofed' cells showed that Hip1R localizes to clathrin-coated pits. Third, overexpression of Hip1R affected the subcellular distribution of clathrin LC. Consistent with a functional role for Hip1R in endocytosis, we also demonstrated that it promotes clathrin cage assembly in vitro. Finally, we showed that Hip1R is a rod-shaped apparent dimer with globular heads at either end, and that it can assemble clathrin-coated vesicles and F-actin into higher order structures. In total, Hip1R's properties suggest an early endocytic function at the interface between clathrin, F-actin, and lipids.     

Huntingtin interacting protein 1 (HIP1) regulates clathrin assembly through direct binding to the regulatory region of the clathrin light chain

Huntingtin interacting protein 1 (HIP1) is a component of clathrin coats. We previously demonstrated that HIP1 promotes clathrin assembly through its central helical domain, which binds directly to clathrin light chains (CLCs). To better understand the relationship between CLC binding and clathrin assembly we sought to dissect this interaction. Using C-terminal deletion constructs of the HIP1 helical domain, we identified a region between residues 450 and 456 that is required for CLC binding. Within this region, point mutations showed the importance of residues Leu-451, Leu-452, and Arg-453. Mutants that fail to bind CLC are unable to promote clathrin assembly in vitro but still mediate HIP1 homodimerization and heterodimerization with the family member HIP12/HIP1R. Moreover, HIP1 binding to CLC is necessary for HIP1 targeting to clathrin-coated pits and clathrin-coated vesicles. Interestingly, HIP1 binds to a highly conserved region of CLC previously demonstrated to regulate clathrin assembly. These results suggest a role for HIP1/CLC interactions in the regulation of clathrin assembly.     

Crystal structure at 2.8 A of the DLLRKN-containing coiled-coil domain of huntingtin-interacting protein 1 (HIP1) reveals a surface suitable for clathrin light chain binding

Huntingtin interacting protein 1 (HIP1) is a member of a family of proteins whose interaction with Huntingtin is critical to prevent cells from initiating apoptosis. HIP1, and related protein HIP12/1R, can also bind to clathrin and membrane phospholipids, and HIP12/1R links the CCV to the actin cytoskeleton. HIP1 and HIP12/1R interact with the clathrin light chain EED regulatory site and stimulate clathrin lattice assembly. Here, we report the X-ray structure of the coiled-coil domain of HIP1 (residues 482-586) that includes residues crucial for binding clathrin light chain. The dimeric HIP1 crystal structure is partially splayed open. The comparison of the HIP1 model with coiled-coil predictions revealed the heptad repeat in the dimeric trunk (S2 path) is offset relative to the register of the heptad repeat from the N-terminal portion (S1 path) of the molecule. Furthermore, surface analysis showed there is a third hydrophobic path (S3) running parallel with S1 and S2. We present structural evidence supporting a role for the S3 path as an interaction surface for clathrin light chain. Finally, comparative analysis suggests the mode of binding between sla2p and clathrin light chain may be different in yeast.     

The calcium-binding site of clathrin light chains

Clathrin light chains are calcium-binding proteins (Mooibroek, M. J., Michiel, D. F., and Wang, J. H. (1987) J. Biol. Chem. 262, 25-28) and clathrin assembly can be modulated by calcium in vitro. Thus, intracellular calcium may play a regulatory role in the function of clathrin-coated vesicles. The structural basis for calcium's influence on clathrin-mediated processes has been defined using recombinant deletion mutants and isolated fragments of the light chains. A single calcium-binding site, formed by residues 85-96, is present in both mammalian light chains (LCa and LCb) and in the single yeast light chain. This sequence has structural similarity to the calcium-binding EF-hand loops of calmodulin and related proteins. In mammalian light chains, the calcium-binding sequence is flanked by domains that regulate clathrin assembly and disassembly.     

Compromise of clathrin function and membrane association by clathrin light chain deletion

While clathrin heavy chains from different species are highly conserved in amino acid sequence, clathrin light chains are much more divergent. Thus clathrin light chain may have different functions in different organisms. To investigate clathrin light chain function, we cloned the clathrin light chain, clcA, from Dictyostelium and examined clathrin function in clcA– mutants. Phenotypic deficiencies in development, cytokinesis, and osmoregulation showed that light chain was critical for clathrin function in Dictyostelium . In contrast with budding yeast, we found the light chain did not influence steady-state levels of clathrin, triskelion formation, or contribute to clathrin over-assembly on intracellular membranes. Imaging GFP-CHC in clcA– mutants showed that the heavy chain formed dynamic punctate structures that were remarkably similar to those found in wild-type cells. However, clathrin light chain knockouts showed a decreased association of clathrin with intracellular membranes. Unlike wild-type cells, half of the clathrin in clcA– mutants was cytosolic, suggesting that the absence of light chain compromised the assembly of triskelions onto intracellular membranes. Taken together, these results suggest a role for the Dictyostelium clathrin light chain in regulating the self-assembly of triskelions onto intracellular membranes, and demonstrate a crucial contribution of the light chain to clathrin function in vivo .     

Light-chain-independent binding of adaptors, AP180, and auxilin to clathrin

Binding of coated vesicle assembly proteins to clathrin causes it to assemble into regular coat structures. The assembly protein fraction of bovine brain coated vesicles comprises AP180, auxilin, and HA1 and HA2 adaptors. Clathrin heavy chains, separated from their light chains, polymerize with unimpaired efficiency when assembly proteins are added. The reassembled coats were purified by sucrose gradient centrifugation and examined for composition by SDS-PAGE and immunoblotting. We found that all four major coat proteins are incorporated in the presence and absence of light chains. Moreover, each of the purified coat proteins is able to associate directly with clathrin heavy chains in preassembled cages as efficiently as with intact clathrin. We conclude that light chains are not essential for the interaction of AP180, auxilin, and HA1 and HA2 with clathrin.     

HIP1 and HIP12 display differential binding to F-actin, AP2, and clathrin. Identification of a novel interaction with clathrin light chain

Huntingtin-interacting protein 1 (HIP1) and HIP12 are orthologues of Sla2p, a yeast protein with essential functions in endocytosis and regulation of the actin cytoskeleton. We now report that HIP1 and HIP12 are major components of the clathrin coat that interact but differ in their ability to bind clathrin and the clathrin adaptor AP2. HIP1 contains a clathrin-box and AP2 consensus-binding sites that display high affinity binding to the terminal domain of the clathrin heavy chain and the ear domain of the AP2 alpha subunit, respectively. These consensus sites are poorly conserved in HIP12 and correspondingly, HIP12 does not bind to AP2 nor does it demonstrate high affinity clathrin binding. Moreover, HIP12 co-sediments with F-actin in contrast to HIP1, which exhibits no interaction with actin in vitro. Despite these differences, both proteins efficiently stimulate clathrin assembly through their central helical domain. Interestingly, in both HIP1 and HIP12, this domain binds directly to the clathrin light chain. Our data suggest that HIP1 and HIP12 play related yet distinct functional roles in clathrin-mediated endocytosis.     

Structure of human clathrin light chains. Conservation of light chain polymorphism in three mammalian species

Complementary DNAs (cDNA) encoding the brain and non-brain forms of the human clathrin light chains LCa and LCb have been isolated, sequenced, and compared with their homologues in cow and rat. The significant differences that distinguish LCa from LCb and the brain from non-brain forms show remarkable preservation in all three species. These features include the position and sequence of the brain-specific inserts, a totally conserved region of 22 residues near the amino terminus, the LCb-specific phosphorylation site, the heavy chain binding site, and a distinctive pattern of cysteine residues near the carboxyl terminus. Unorthodox sequences for translation initiation and polyadenylation are found for LCb contrasting with LCa which exhibits orthodox regulatory sequences. Small insertions in human LCa revealed a duplicated sequence of 13 residues that flank the 22-residue conserved region. Only the carboxyl-terminal copy of this sequence is present in LCb. All sequences are consistent with the heavy chain binding site comprising an alpha-helical central region of the light chains. The hydrophobic face of this helix, which is presumed to interact with the heavy chain, is highly conserved between LCa and LCb, whereas the hydrophilic face shows considerable divergence. To help define the carboxyl-terminal limit of the heavy chain binding region, the epitope recognized by the CVC.6 monoclonal antibody was localized to residues 192-208 of LCa with glutamic acid 198 being of most importance. The faithful preservation of clathrin light chain polymorphism in three mammalian species provides evidence supporting a functional diversification of the brain and non-brain forms of LCa and LCb.     

Folding and trimerization of clathrin subunits at the triskelion hub.

The triskelion shape of the clathrin molecule enables it to form the polyhedral protein network that covers clathrin-coated pits and vesicles. Domains within the clathrin heavy chain that are responsible for maintaining triskelion shape and function were identified and localized. Sequences that mediate trimerization are distal to the carboxyl terminus and are adjacent to a domain that mediates both light chain binding and clathrin assembly. Structural modeling predicts that within this domain, the region of heavy chain-light chain interaction is a bundle of three or four alpha helices. These studies establish a low resolution model of clathrin subunit folding in the central portion (hub) of the triskelion, thus providing a basis for future mutagenesis experiments.     

RNAi-mediated Hip1R silencing results in stable association between the endocytic machinery and the actin assembly machinery

Actin filaments transiently associate with the endocytic machinery during clathrin-coated vesicle formation. Although several proteins that might mediate or regulate this association have been identified, in vivo demonstration of such an activity has not been achieved. Huntingtin interacting protein 1R (Hip1R) is a candidate cytoskeletal-endocytic linker or regulator because it binds to clathrin and actin. Here, Hip1R levels were lowered by RNA interference (RNAi). Surprisingly, rather than disrupting the transient association between endocytic and cytoskeletal proteins, clathrin-coated structures (CCSs) and their endocytic cargo became stably associated with dynamin, actin, the Arp2/3 complex, and its activator, cortactin. RNAi double-depletion experiments demonstrated that accumulation of the cortical actin-endocytic complexes depended on cortactin. Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching showed that dynamic actin filament assembly can occur at CCSs. Our results provide evidence that Hip1R helps to make the interaction between actin and the endocytic machinery functional and transient.     

Light chain C-terminal region reinforces the stability of clathrin heavy chain trimers

The self-assembly of clathrin into lattices relies on the ability of heavy chain legs to form a three-legged pinwheel structure. We investigated the role of light chains in clathrin trimerization by challenging recombinant hub (plus and minus light chain) with an anionic detergent. The binding of light chain increases the amount of detergent needed to induce detrimerization, suggesting light chains reinforced hub trimers. We also show that light chain C-terminal residues are important for enhancing the in vitro assembly of hub at low pH. We assessed how much the C-terminus of light chain contributed to the stability of the trimerization domain by adding full-length and truncated light chains to trimer-defective hub mutants, C1573S and C1573A. Adding full-length LCb to C1573S caused some retrimerization, but little activity was restored, suggesting the majority of oligomeric C1573S was nonnative. A larger percentage of monomeric C1573A could be retrimerized into an assembly-competent form by adding intact LCb. We also discovered that C-terminally deleted light chains produced a heterogeneous population of hubs that were smaller than native hubs, but were assembly active. We propose a model showing how light chains reinforce the puckered clathrin triskelion. Finally, the ability of light chains to retrimerize C1573A hub suggests that the structural role of light chain may be conserved in yeast and mammals.     

Protein organization in clathrin trimers

We have prepared a homogeneous, soluble 8.6S species (“8.6S clathrin”) from calf-brain coated vesicles. Crosslinking experiments show that this 8.6S clathrin is composed of three heavy chains (molecular weight 180,000) and three light chains (molecular weights 33,000 and 36,000). Each heavy chain is in close contact with a single light chain, and the light chains appear not to be in contact with each other. Intact 8.6S clathrin can reassemble into cages without participation of additional protein species.     

Bovine brain clathrin light chains impede heavy chain assembly in vitro

Intact bovine brain clathrin triskelia, comprising three heavy and three light chains, require either 2 mM calcium or the assistance of protein co-factors for efficient assembly into regular cage structures (Keen, J. H., Willingham, M. C., and Pastan, I. (1979) Cell 16, 303-312). In contrast light chain-free heavy chains assemble readily in the absence of co-factors or calcium. Reconstitution of intact clathrin from heavy and light chains restores the calcium requirement. Our data indicate that light chains impede assembly by creating a kinetic trap rather than by perturbing the affinity of heavy chains for each other. This property suggests a function for light chains as regulatory subunits for clathrin assembly.     

Clathrin Hub Expression Dissociates the Actin-Binding Protein Hip1R from Coated Pits and Disrupts Their Alignment with the Actin Cytoskeleton

The actin cytoskeleton has been implicated in the maintenance of discrete sites for clathrin-coated pit formation during receptor-mediated endocytosis in mammalian cells, and its function is intimately linked to the endocytic pathway in yeast. Here we demonstrate that staining for mammalian endocytic clathrin-coated pits using a monoclonal antibody against the AP2 adaptor complex revealed a linear pattern that correlates with the organization of the actin cytoskeleton. This vesicle organization was disrupted by treatment of cells with cytochalasin D, which disassembles actin, or with 2,3-butanedione monoxime, which prevents myosin association with actin. The linear AP2 staining pattern was also disrupted in HeLa cells that were induced to express the Hub fragment of the clathrin heavy chain, which acts as a dominant-negative inhibitor of receptor-mediated endocytosis by direct interference with clathrin function. Additionally, Hub expression caused the actin-binding protein Hip1R to dissociate from coated pits. These findings indicate that proper function of clathrin is required for coated pit alignment with the actin cytoskeleton and suggest that the clathrin–Hip1R interaction is involved in the cytoskeletal organization of coated pits.     

Analysis of clathrin light chain-heavy chain interactions using truncated mutants of rat liver light chain LCB3

Clathrin light chains are extended molecules located along the proximal segment of each of the three heavy chain legs of a clathrin trimer. All mammalian light chains share a central segment with 10 repeated heptad motifs believed to mediate the interaction with clathrin heavy chains. In order to test this model in more detail, we have expressed intact rat liver clathrin light chain LCB3 in Escherichia coli and find that it binds tightly to calf clathrin heavy chains. Using a set of expressed truncated mutants of LCB3, we show that the presence of seven to eight heptads is indeed necessary for a successful interaction. More extensive deletions of the central segment completely abolish the ability to bind to heavy chains. Neither the amino- nor the carboxyl-terminal domain is essential for binding, but competition experiments show that the presence of the carboxyl-terminal domain does enhance the interaction with heavy chains.     

Human erythrocyte clathrin and clathrin-uncoating protein

Clathrin, a Mr = 72,000 clathrin-associated protein, and myosin were purified in milligram quantities from the same erythrocyte hemolysate fraction. Erythrocyte clathrin closely resembled brain clathrin in several respects: (a) both are triskelions as visualized by electron microscopy with arms 40 nm in length with globular ends and a flexible hinge region in the middle of each arm, and these triskelions assemble into polyhedral "cages" at appropriate pH and ionic strength; (b) both molecules contain heavy chains of Mr = 170,000 that are indistinguishable by two-dimensional maps of 125I-labeled peptides; and (c) both molecules contain light chains of Mr approximately 40,000 in a 1:1 molar ratio with the heavy chain. Erythrocyte clathrin is not identical to brain clathrin since antibody raised against the erythrocyte protein reacts better with erythrocyte clathrin than with brain clathrin and since brain clathrin contains two light chains resolved on sodium dodecyl sulfate gels while the light chain of erythrocyte clathrin migrates as a single band. The erythrocyte Mr = 72,000 clathrin-associated protein is closely related to a protein in brain that mediates ATP-dependent disassembly of clathrin from coated vesicles and binds tightly to clathrin triskelions (Schlossman, D. M., Schmid, S. L., Braell, W. A., and Rothman, J. E. (1984) J. Cell Biol. 99, 723-733). The erythrocyte and brain proteins have identical Mr on sodium dodecyl sulfate gels and identical maps of 125I-labeled peptides, share antigenic sites, and bind tightly to ATP immobilized on agarose. Clathrin and the uncoating protein are not restricted to reticulocytes since equivalent amounts of these proteins are present in whole erythrocyte populations and reticulocyte-depleted erythrocytes. Clathrin is present at 6,000 triskelions/cells, while the uncoating protein is in substantial excess at 250,000 copies/cell.     

Biochemical and immunological studies on clathrin light chains and their binding sites on clathrin triskelions

Clathrin light chains from bovine brain tissue (LC alpha and LC beta) are monomeric proteins with an average mol. wt. of approximately 33,000, as determined by sedimentation equilibrium. Solution studies on purified light chains indicate a large Stokes radius (Re = 3.3 nm) and little defined secondary structure. Both light chains bind specifically and with high affinity (KA approximately 5 x 10(7)/M) to overlapping sites on clathrin heavy chains. These binding sites are contained within a 125,000 dalton heavy chain fragment that forms truncated triskelions with legs, 15 nm shorter than those of intact triskelions. As judged by immuno-electron microscopy, light chain-specific IgG molecules bind mostly to the center of triskelions, but there are also sites that are scattered some 16 nm along the proximal part of triskelion legs. From heterologous binding experiments using human placenta light chains and heavy chain fragments from bovine brain clathrin, it is concluded that the domains of light and heavy chains that are involved in the interaction are conserved across tissue and species boundaries.     

Recognition sites for clathrin-associated proteins AP-2 and AP-3 on clathrin triskelia.

AP-2 and AP-3 are cellular proteins that drive the in vitro polymerization of clathrin triskelia into cage structures. The interaction of these two types of assembly proteins (APs) with preassembled clathrin cages has been studied in order to identify the sites on the triskelia required for binding. Comparing binding of the APs to intact or to proteolytically clipped cages, we attempted to distinguish between binding to the terminal domain, the globular end of the heavy chain, and binding to the hub of the clathrin triskelia, the portion that remains assembled after trypsin treatment. AP-3 binds to intact clathrin cages but not to those that were treated with trypsin. AP-3 also bound to cages consisting solely of clathrin heavy chains; proteolysis of these cages also eliminated AP-3 binding. In addition, AP-3 did not bind to either isolated hubs or terminal domains that had been immobilized on Sepharose. These data indicate that clathrin light chains are not required for binding of AP-3, and that neither terminal domain nor hubs alone will suffice. However, an intact heavy chain is both necessary and sufficient for the binding of AP-3. Previous work has demonstrated one binding site for AP-2 on proteolyzed cages containing only clathrin hubs; the existence of a second binding site associated with the terminal domain was hypothesized. Here we provide direct evidence for recognition by AP-2 of isolated terminal domains immobilized on Sepharose and show that the core of the AP-2 molecule is responsible for this interaction. These results provide the first demonstration of a functional role for the conserved terminal domain of the clathrin heavy chain.     

A Hip1R-cortactin complex negatively regulates actin assembly associated with endocytosis

Actin polymerization plays a critical role in clathrin-mediated endocytosis in many cell types, but how polymerization is regulated is not known. Hip1R may negatively regulate actin assembly during endocytosis because its depletion increases actin assembly at endocytic sites. Here, we show that the C-terminal proline-rich domain of Hip1R binds to the SH3 domain of cortactin, a protein that binds to dynamin, actin filaments and the Arp2/3 complex. We demonstrate that Hip1R deleted for the cortactin-binding site loses its ability to rescue fully the formation of abnormal actin structures at endocytic sites induced by Hip1R siRNA. To determine when this complex might function during endocytosis, we performed live cell imaging. The maximum in vivo recruitment of Hip1R, clathrin and cortactin to endocytic sites was coincident, and all three proteins disappeared together upon formation of a clathrin-coated vesicle. Finally, we showed that Hip1R inhibits actin assembly by forming a complex with cortactin that blocks actin filament barbed end elongation.