Clathrin coat construction in endocytosis

Electron cryomicroscopy of the clathrin coat and X-ray crystallography of parts of the clathrin heavy chain combine to give a detailed picture of the clathrin molecule, assembled as a cage. Recently determined domain structures of other components of the endocytic machinery, particularly the mu 2 subunit and the alpha-appendage domain of the AP2 adaptor complex, provide important information on the sequence of recognition events involved in the dynamic process of clathrin coat assembly.