Single-molecule diffusion study of activated EGFR implicates its endocytic pathway

Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2008 May 2;369(2):730-4. doi: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2008.02.084. Epub 2008 Feb 29.

Abstract

In this work, we have imaged the lateral diffusion of activated epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) on cell membrane for studying its internalization pathway. After EGF activation, the mobility of individual EGFR molecules was measured and compared with that in the cells disrupted of clathrin-coated pits and caveolae, the two endocytosis-competent membrane microdomains. The results implicated that activated EGFR molecules associated with clathrin-coated pits but not caveolae at low doses of EGF, whereas they were located in these two domains at high EGF doses. It provided supporting evidence for the occurrence of both clathrin-dependent and caveolae-dependent EGFR endocytosis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cell Membrane / metabolism*
  • Diffusion
  • Endocytosis / physiology*
  • ErbB Receptors / metabolism*
  • HeLa Cells
  • Humans
  • Signal Transduction / physiology*

Substances

  • EGFR protein, human
  • ErbB Receptors