Functional analysis of membrane remodeling by epsin1

The main goal of this project is a molecular understanding of how the endocytic protein epsin1 interacts with membranes and how this protein-membrane interaction affects membrane morphology. Using purified proteins and different model membrane systems the importance of the lipid composition for membrane remodeling will be analyzed. We will study the regulatory effect of known epsin1 interaction partners on membrane deformation, and epsin1 dependent cargo sorting will be reconstituted in vitro to understand key steps of clathrin-mediated endocytosis.