Myosin VI: two distinct roles in endocytosis

Abstract

Actin is found at the cortex of the cell where endocytosis occurs, but does it play a role in this essential process? Recent studies on the unconventional myosin, myosin VI, an actin-based molecular motor, provide compelling evidence that this myosin and therefore actin is involved in two distinct steps of endocytosis in higher eukaryotes: the formation of clathrin-coated vesicles and the movement of nascent uncoated vesicles from the actin-rich cell periphery to the early endosome. Three distinct adapter proteins - GIPC, Dab2 and SAP97 - that associate with the cargo-binding tail domain of myosin VI have been identified. These proteins may recruit myosin VI to its sites of action.