Eps15 (EGFR pathway substrate clone 15) is well known for its role in clathrin-coated vesicle formation at the plasma membrane through interactions with other clathrin adaptor proteins such as AP-2. Interestingly, we observed that in addition to its plasma membrane localization, Eps15 is also present at the trans-Golgi network (TGN). Therefore, we predicted that Eps15 might associate with clathrin adaptor proteins at the TGN and thereby mediate the formation of Golgi-derived vesicles. Indeed, we have found that Eps15 and the TGN clathrin adaptor AP-1 coimmunoprecipitate from rat liver Golgi fractions. Furthermore, we have identified a 14-amino acid motif near the AP-2-binding domain of Eps15 that is required for binding to AP-1, but not AP-2. Disruption of the Eps15-AP-1 interaction via siRNA knockdown of AP-1 or expression of mutant Eps15 protein, which lacks a 14-amino acid motif representing the AP-1 binding site of Eps15, significantly reduced the exit of secretory proteins from the TGN. Together, these findings indicate that Eps15 plays an important role in clathrin-coated vesicle formation not only at the plasma membrane but also at the TGN during the secretory process.
INTRODUCTIONClathrin-coated vesicles and associated adaptor proteins play an important role in the cyclical pattern of membrane trafficking throughout the endocytic and secretory pathways (Traub, 2005;McNiven and Thompson, 2006). Conventional clathrin adaptors, such as the adaptor protein (AP) complexes AP-1, -2, -3, and -4, are known to sequester and link membrane cargoes to the clathrin lattice while recruiting other accessory proteins that aid in the formation of the clathrin basket (Robinson and Bonifacino, 2001;Owen et al., 2004;Robinson, 2004;Ungewickell and Hinrichsen, 2007). Although dozens of these additional adaptor proteins, including Eps15 (EGFR pathway substrate clone 15), epsin, AP180, and amphiphysin to name just a few, are known to interact with AP-2 and mediate vesicle formation from the plasma membrane (Schmid and McMahon, 2007), information regarding clathrin-based adaptors at the trans-Golgi network (TGN) is less extensive (Traub, 2003(Traub, , 2005Sorkin, 2004;McNiven and Thompson, 2006). The endocytic adaptor Eps15 was originally identified as a substrate of the EGFR (Fazioli et al., 1993) and is well known to participate in clathrin-mediated endocytosis. As examples, Eps15 localizes to plasma membrane clathrin-coated pits and vesicles (Tebar et al., 1996;van Delft et al., 1997) and is recruited to the plasma membrane upon epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) activation (Torrisi et al., 1999). In addition, disruption of Eps15 function through injection of cells with antibodies against Eps15 or expression of Eps15 mutants inhibits the internalization of both EGF and transferrin (Carbone et al., 1997;Benmerah et al., 1998Benmerah et al., , 1999Benmerah et al., , 2000.The multiple interaction domains of Eps15 make it well suited to function as an endocytic adaptor. Its N-terminal domain contains three Eps15 homology (E...