Caveolins And Caveolae: Roles In Signaling And Disease Mechanisms (advances In Experimental Medicine And Biology)

Caveolae are 50-100 nm flask-shaped invaginations of the plasma membrane that are primarily composed of cholesterol and sphingolipids. Using modern electron microscopy techniques, caveolae can be observed as omega-shaped invaginations of the plasma membrane, fully-invaginated caveolae, grape-like clusters of interconnected caveolae (caveosome), or as transcellular channels as a consequence of the fusion of individual caveolae. The caveolin gene family consists of three distinct members, namely Cav-1, Cav-2 and Cav-3. Cav-1 and Cav-2 proteins are usually co-expressed and particularly abundant in epithelial, endothelial, and smooth muscle cells as well as adipocytes and fibroblasts. On the other hand, the Cav-3 protein appears to be muscle-specific and is therefore only expressed in smooth, skeletal and cardiac muscles. Caveolin proteins form high molecular weight homo- and/or hetero-oligomers and assume an unusual topology with both their N- and C-terminal domains facing the cytoplasm. Front Matter....Pages i-xx Front Matter....Pages 1-1 Lipid Rafts, Caveolae and GPI-Linked Proteins....Pages 3-13 Caveolae and the Regulation of Endocytosis....Pages 14-28 CAVEOLIN-1: Role in Cell Signaling....Pages 29-50 Regulation of eNOS in Caveolae....Pages 51-62 Front Matter....Pages 63-63 Recent Developments in the Interactions Between Caveolin and Pathogens....Pages 65-82 Caveolin-1 and Breast Cancer: A New Clinical Perspective....Pages 83-94 Caveolin-1 and Prostate Cancer Progression....Pages 95-110 Caveolins and Caveolae, Roles in Insulin Signalling and Diabetes....Pages 111-126 Atherosclerosis, Caveolae and Caveolin-1....Pages 127-144 Caveolins and Heart Diseases....Pages 145-156 Caveolins and Lung Function....Pages 157-179 Back Matter....Pages 181-184