VHS domain marks a group of proteins involved in endocytosis and vesiculartrafficking

Endocytosis is driven by a mechanism which is characterized by an orderly c ongregation of a large number of proteins which effectuate, first, formatio n of a coated vesicles, second, pinching off the vesicle and, third, regula ted transport, True to the nature of many other proteins involved in multim olecular complexes, also endocytosis-associated proteins, such as Eps15, cl athrin and AP-2, are characterized by distinct domains which mediate the pr otein-protein interactions, We now report that a group of well-established endocytosis and/or vesicular trafficking proteins possess a VHS domain, a r ecently described domain with an unknown function. We suggest that in these proteins VHS serves as a membrane targeting domain which by its specific f eatures together with FYVE, SH3 and/or TAM domains, which are also present in some VHS-containing proteins, is involved in the stage-specific assembly of the endocytic machinery. (C) 1998 Federation of European Biochemical So cieties.