Caveolins and Caveolae

Roles in Signaling and Disease Mechanisms

184 Seiten, Hardcover

Kurzbeschreibung des Verlags

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.

• Reihe: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology
• Themen: Medizin Medizin / Gesundheitswesen, allgemein Medizinische Ausstattung und Technik Medizinische Forschung
• ISBN: 9781461412212
• Sprache: Englisch
• Erscheinungsdatum: 30.01.2012
• Größe: 25.4 x 17.8 cm
• Verlag: Springer US
• Herausgegeben von: Jean-François Jasmin, Philippe Frank, Michael P. Lisanti