adaptin


a·dap·tin

(ă-dap'tin), A multisubunit complex of proteins that has a binding site for the cytoplasmic aspect of cargo receptor molecules as well as a binding site for clathrin molecules, thus facilitating the formation of a clathrin coat around a vesicle; currently, four different types of adaptins are known, each capable of binding with the cytoplasmic aspect of the four different types of cargo receptors. [adapt + -in]

adaptin

Any of the receptor-specific proteins (alpha, beta, mu and sigma) that mediate clathrin-coated pit formation, which is critical to clathrin-coated vesicle-mediated intracellular transport of proteins through membrane-bound receptor interaction. Adaptins cluster to form an AP2–complex.