The endocytic machinery at an interface with the actin cytoskeleton: a dynamic, hip intersection

Clathrin-mediated endocytosis is the major mechanism by which proteins and membrane lipids gain access into cells. Over the past several years, an array of proteins has been identified that define the molecular machinery regulating the formation of clathrin-coated pits and vesicles. This article focuses on how the identification of this machinery has begun to reveal a molecular basis for a link between endocytosis and the actin cytoskeleton - a link that had long been suspected to exist in mammalian cells but which had remained elusive. In particular, I discuss the relationship between actin and three components of the endocytic machinery - dynamin, HIPs (huntingtin-interacting proteins) and intersectin.