Depletion of GAK/auxilin 2 inhibits receptor-mediated endocytosis and recruitment of both clathrin and clathrin adaptors.

Cyclin G-associated kinase (GAK/auxilin 2), the ubiquitous form of the neuronal-specific protein auxilin 1, is an essential cofactor for the Hsc70-dependent uncoating of clathrin-coated vesicles. We have now investigated the effect of knocking down GAK in HeLa cells by vector-based small hairpin RNA. Functionally, depletion of GAK caused a marked decrease in internalization of both transferrin and epidermal growth factor and altered mannose 6-phosphate receptor trafficking, but had little effect on the recycling of transferrin receptor back to the plasma membrane. Structurally, depletion of GAK caused a marked reduction in perinuclear clathrin associated with the trans-Golgi network and in the number of clathrin-coated pits on the plasma membrane, and reduced clathrin exchange on the few clathrin-coated pits that remained. Surprisingly, while clathrin depletion does not prevent adaptors from assembling on the membrane, depletion of GAK caused a dramatic reduction in AP2 and epsin on the plasma membrane and AP1 and GGA at the trans-Golgi network. A similar effect was caused by expression of a dominant negative Hsp70 mutant. These results suggest that GAK, in conjunction with Hsc70, not only uncoats clathrin-coated vesicles and induces clathrin exchange on clathrin-coated pits, but also mediates binding of clathrin and adaptors to the plasma membrane and the trans-Golgi network.