Yeast endocytic adaptor AP-2 binds the stress sensor Mid2 and functions in polarized cell responses.

The AP-2 complex is a heterotetrameric endocytic cargo-binding adaptor that facilitates uptake of membrane proteins during mammalian clathrin-mediated endocytosis. While budding yeast has clear homologues of all four AP-2 subunits which form a complex and localize to endocytic sites in vivo, the function of yeast AP-2 has remained enigmatic. Here, we demonstrate that AP-2 is required for hyphal growth in Candida albicans and polarized cell responses in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.