What is "dynamin"

n. (context enzyme English) A hydrolase responsible for endocytosis in eukaryotic cells

Dynamin is a GTPase responsible for endocytosis in the eukaryotic cell. Dynamins are principally involved in the scission of newly formed vesicles from the membrane of one cellular compartment and their targeting to, and fusion with, another compartment, both at the cell surface (particularly caveolae internalization) as well as at the Golgi apparatus. Dynamin also plays a role in many processes including division of organelles, cytokinesis and microbial pathogen resistance.

Dynamin is part of the "dynamin superfamily," which includes classical dynamins, dynamin-like proteins, Mx proteins, OPA, mitofusins, and GBPs. Dynamin itself is a 96 kDa enzyme, and was first isolated when researchers were attempting to isolate new microtubule-based motors from the bovine brain. Dynamin has been extensively studied in the context of clathrin-coated vesicle budding from the cell membrane.