Early endosomes function in:
Endocytic trafficking relies on progressive maturation and sorting of internalized cargo to maintain membrane homeostasis and signaling fidelity. Early endosomes, also called sorting endosomes, receive clathrin-coated and non-clathrin vesicles from the plasma membrane containing receptors such as transferrin receptor, EGF receptor, ligands, low-density lipoprotein, and extracellular fluid. Their pleomorphic tubular-vesicular morphology and mildly acidic pH around 6.0 to 6.2, maintained by vacuolar ATPase delivering protons, facilitate dissociation of many ligands from receptors while preservin
Ref: Alberts et al., Molecular Biology of the Cell, 6th ed., Chapter 13: Intracellular Vesicular Traffic – Early Endosomes and Sorting.
