The role of the AP2 Adaptor Protein Complex in clathrin-mediated endocytosis

Abstract

This work presents an overall characterization of the endocytosis process, including its various forms, stages, and biological significance. Particular emphasis is placed on clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME) and the adaptor protein complexes AP1–AP5 that participate in this pathway. Their structure, subcellular localization, function, as well as the disorders and diseases associated with them are addressed. The main attention is devoted to the AP2 complex, which is indispensable in CME. The conformational changes of this complex and their importance in the initiation and progression of clathrin-mediated endocytosis are analysed in detail. The influence of phosphorylation of one of the AP2 subunits on these conformational changes and the positive and negative regulation of the entire AP2 complex by kinases and NECAP proteins is discussed. The study also emphasizes the importance of AP2 in the proper functioning of the nervous system, as well as the associations between structural disruptions of the complex and neurodegenerative diseases, highlighting the therapeutic potential arising from the regulation of its subunit expression.