(cell and molecular biology) Tiny indentations in the cell surface membrane which trap fluids during the process of micropinocytosis.
Caveolae
| Sci-Tech Dictionary: caveolae |
(kə′vē·ə·lē)
| 5min Related Video: Caveolae |
| Medical Dictionary: ca·ve·o·la |
| Veterinary Dictionary: caveolae |
Membrane-lined cavities.
- thymic c. — large, membrane-lined cavities in the outer cortex of the thymus in which marrow-derived lymphocytes develop sophisticated lymphogenous traits.
| Wikipedia: Caveolae |
In biology, caveolae (Latin for little caves, singular: caveola), which are a special type of lipid raft, are small (50–100 nanometer) invaginations of the plasma membrane in many vertebrate cell types, especially in endothelial cells and adipocytes. Some cell types, like neurons, may completely lack caveolae.
These flask-shaped structures are rich in proteins as well as lipids such as cholesterol and sphingolipids and have several functions in signal transduction.[1] They are also believed to play a role in endocytosis, oncogenesis, and the uptake of pathogenic bacteria and certain viruses.[2][3][4]
Caveolae are one source of clathrin-independent endocytosis involved in turnover of adhesive complexes.
Formation and maintenance of caveolae is primarily due to the protein caveolin, a 21 kD protein. This protein has both a cytoplasmic C-terminus and a cytoplasmic N-terminus, linked together by a hydrophobic hairpin that is inserted into the membrane. The presence of caveolin leads to the local change in morphology of the membrane.
Because of their specific lipid content, caveolae are sometimes considered as a caveolin-positive subset of lipid rafts.
Some known inhibitors of the Caveolae pathway are Filipin III, Genistein and Nystatin.
References
- ^ Anderson RG (1998). "The caveolae membrane system". Annu. Rev. Biochem. 67: 199–225. doi:. PMID 9759488. http://arjournals.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev.biochem.67.1.199?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori:rid:crossref.org&rfr_dat=cr_pub%3dncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
- ^ Frank P, Lisanti M (2004). "Caveolin-1 and caveolae in atherosclerosis: differential roles in fatty streak formation and neointimal hyperplasia.". Curr Opin Lipidol 15 (5): 523–9. doi:. PMID 15361787.
- ^ Li X, Everson W, Smart E (2005). "Caveolae, lipid rafts, and vascular disease.". Trends Cardiovasc Med 15 (3): 92–6. doi:. PMID 16039968.
- ^ Pelkmans L (2005). "Secrets of caveolae- and lipid raft-mediated endocytosis revealed by mammalian viruses.". Biochim Biophys Acta 1746 (3): 295–304. doi:. PMID 16126288.
External links
|
|||||
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
Learn More
 | caveola |
| micropinocytosis (cell and molecular biology) |
| Endocytosis (cell biology) |
Post a question - any question - to the WikiAnswers community:
Copyrights:
 |
 | Sci-Tech Dictionary. McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms. Copyright © 2003, 1994, 1989, 1984, 1978, 1976, 1974 by McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more |
 |
| Medical Dictionary. The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Read more |
 |
| Veterinary Dictionary. Saunders Comprehensive Veterinary Dictionary 3rd Edition. Copyright © 2007 by D.C. Blood, V.P. Studdert and C.C. Gay, Elsevier. All rights reserved. Read more |
 |
| Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Caveolae". Read more |
ADVERTISEMENT
Mentioned in
- caveola
- micropinocytosis (cell and molecular biology)
- Endocytosis (cell biology)
- Caveolin
