Clathrin adaptors drive phase separation in endocytosis and trafficking.

Yeast adaptors Ent5 and Sla2 undergo LLPS, with Ent5's disordered helix and Sla2's coiled-coil region mediating condensate formation.

• Why it matters: Understanding how adaptor proteins contribute to membrane trafficking through phase separation can clarify mechanisms underlying endocytosis and cellular organization.
• What they did: The study examined Ent5 and Sla2 in vitro and in vivo, showing that Ent5's LLPS depends on a specific helix, while Sla2's condensation involves its coiled-coil region, linking structural features to phase separation.
• The result: Disruption of Ent5's helix delays transport events and alters membrane coating dynamics, indicating that phase separation driven by adaptors couples clathrin binding with membrane association in endocytosis.