title: Caveolae: from cell biology to animal physiology.
abstract: Among the membrane compartments of a cell, vesicles known as "caveolae" have long defied functional characterization. However, since the identification of a family of proteins termed "caveolins", that form and reside in caveolae, a better understanding has emerged. It is now clear that caveolae do not merely play a singular role in the cell, but are pleiotropic in nature-serving to modulate many cellular functions. The purpose of this review is to explicate what is known about caveolins/caveolae and highlight growing areas of caveolar research.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, New York 10461, USA.
authors.forename: Babak
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Razani
authors.forename: Scott E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Woodman
authors.forename: Michael P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Lisanti
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D021941:Caveolae / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D022461:Caveolins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000502:physiology; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D009154:Mutation; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics; D009857:Oncogenes / Q000502:physiology; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D022461:Caveolins; D002784:Cholesterol