Question

What binds to the signal of a receptor and the clathrin coat helping the receptor to be trapped in coated pits prior to endocytosis?

1) Ligand
2) Enzyme
3) Substrate
4) Inhibitor

Answer 1

In receptor-mediated endocytosis, ligands bind to their specific receptors, causing the receptors to aggregate in clathrin-coated pits, which then invaginate to form vesicles that internalize the ligand-receptor complexes into the cell (option 1).

Step-by-step explanation:

The process that involves the trapping of a signal receptor and its ligand in coated pits prior to endocytosis is facilitated by the binding of ligands to their specific receptors on the cell surface. When these ligands bind to their matching receptors, the receptors aggregate in coated pits which have a layer made up of the protein clathrin. These clathrin-coated pits then invaginate to form a vesicle that brings the receptor-ligand complex into the cell. This process of receptor-ligand binding and clathrin interaction assists in receptor-mediated endocytosis, which is a targeted variation of endocytosis that allows the cell to internalize specific substances with high efficiency.

Hence, the answer is option 1.