Caveolae (small plasma membrane invaginations) and their coat proteins, caveolins, have attracted the attention of researchers in diverse fields, including cell biology, cardiovascular and cancer research. The tight association between caveolin and cholesterol governs the biochemical behaviour of caveolae and is emerging as an important characteristic in a number of processes assigned to these multifunctional organelles. In this review, selected aspects of the caveolin–cholesterol association and its potential functional implications are discussed.

Keywords:
caveolae, cholesterol, intracellular transport, membrane domain
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© 2004 Biochemical Society
2004
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