Caveolae: anchored, multifunctional platforms in the lipid ocean

The function of caveolae is hotly debated. It now seems clear that caveolae are stable membrane domains that are kept in place by the actin cytoskeleton. However, this stability can be perturbed, leading to caveolar internalization. Caveolae are important in the regulation of various signaling proce...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Trends in cell biology 2003-02, Vol.13 (2), p.92-100
Main Authors: Deurs, Bo van, Roepstorff, Kirstine, Hommelgaard, Anette M., Sandvig, Kirsten
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Actin Cytoskeleton - metabolism
Actin Cytoskeleton - ultrastructure
Animals
Caveolae - metabolism
Caveolae - ultrastructure
Caveolin 1
Caveolins - metabolism
Cholesterol - metabolism
Endocytosis - physiology
Humans
Membrane Lipids - metabolism
Membrane Microdomains - metabolism
Membrane Microdomains - ultrastructure
Protein Transport - physiology
Signal Transduction - physiology
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Summary:The function of caveolae is hotly debated. It now seems clear that caveolae are stable membrane domains that are kept in place by the actin cytoskeleton. However, this stability can be perturbed, leading to caveolar internalization. Caveolae are important in the regulation of various signaling processes, such as nitric oxide activity, and in cholesterol efflux and cholesterol-ester uptake. Caveolin deficiency particularly affects the cardiovascular system and the lungs but, because the knockout mice are viable, none of the proposed functions appears to be essential. Rather than having a specific function, caveolae might be considered to be multifunctional organelles with a physiological role that varies depending on cell type and cellular needs.
ISSN:0962-8924
1879-3088
DOI:10.1016/S0962-8924(02)00039-9