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Differential requirements for actin during yeast and mammalian endocytosis

Abstract

Key features of clathrin-mediated endocytosis have been conserved across evolution. However, endocytosis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae is completely dependent on a functional actin cytoskeleton, whereas actin appears to be less critical in mammalian cell endocytosis. We reveal that the fundamental requirement for actin in the early stages of yeast endocytosis is to provide a strong framework to support the force generation needed to direct the invaginating plasma membrane into the cell against turgor pressure. By providing osmotic support, pressure differences across the plasma membrane were removed and this reduced the requirement for actin-bundling proteins in normal endocytosis. Conversely, increased turgor pressure in specific yeast mutants correlated with a decreased rate of endocytic patch invagination.

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Figure 1: Alleviation of turgor pressure rescues a requirement for bundled actin during endocytosis.
Figure 2: Increases in turgor pressure are detrimental to endocytic invagination.

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Acknowledgements

We thank V. Allan, E. Smythe and S. Winder for discussions and critical reading of the manuscript, L.Yenush (Universidad Politecnica de Valencia, Spain) for yeast strains. K.R.A. is a senior non-clinical MRC Fellow (G0601600). S.A. is supported by a BBSRC studentship. The light microscopy-imaging centre at the University of Sheffield was funded by a grant from the Wellcome Trust (GR077544AIA).

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S.A. performed and analysed experiments. K.R.A. designed experiments, analysed data and wrote the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Kathryn R. Ayscough.

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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

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Aghamohammadzadeh, S., Ayscough, K. Differential requirements for actin during yeast and mammalian endocytosis. Nat Cell Biol 11, 1039–1042 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncb1918

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