Role of Caveolae and Caveolins in Health and Disease

Although they were discovered more than 50 years ago, caveolae have remained enigmatic plasmalemmal organelles. With their characteristic "flasklike" shape and virtually ubiquitous tissue distribution, these interesting structures have been implicated in a wide range of cellular functions. Similar to clathrin-coated pits, caveolae function as macromolecular vesicular transporters, while their unique lipid composition classifies them as plasma membrane lipid rafts, structures enriched in a variety of signaling molecules. The caveolin proteins (caveolin-1, -2, and -3) serve as the structural components of caveolae, while also functioning as scaffolding proteins, capable of recruiting numerous signaling molecules…