We have used a site-specific photo-cross-linking approach to identify direct interactions betweenclathrin adaptor protein (AP)
1 complexes and small GTPases of the ADP-ribosylation factor (ARF) familyand to explore the specificity of this interaction on immature secretory granule (ISG) membranes. ISGmembranes are a well-characterized, highly enriched preparation of membranes that has previously beenshown to have the membrane-associated factors for ARF1 recruitment that are not present on artificialliposomes. All three classes of ARF proteins could be recruited to ISG membranes, displaying differentialrequirements for GTP
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S. We found that ARF1, ARF5, and ARF6 interacted directly with the
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1-adaptinsubunit of AP-1 in the presence of GTP
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S. Furthermore, we observed a direct interaction between theswitch 1 region of ARF1 and the N-terminal trunk domains of
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- and
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1-adaptin. In addition, both ARF1and ARF6 but not ARF5 interacted directly with the
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3- and
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-adaptin subunits of AP-3. No interactionwas observed between AP-2 and any of the ARF proteins. Our results delineate the specificity and provideevidence of a direct interaction between different ARF proteins and the AP complexes AP-1 and AP-3 onnatural ISG membranes and show that residues in the switch 1 region of ARF proteins can selectivelybind to the trunk domains of these complexes.