Protein Domain : Caveolin, conserved site IPR018361

Type	Conserved_site
Description	Caveolae are 50-100 nm invaginations located at the plasma membrane of many cell types and are known to transport molecules across endothelial cells [ ]. Caveolae require the caveolin proteinfor formation. Caveolins may act as scaffolding proteins within caveolar membranes by compartmentalizing and concentrating signalling molecules. Mammals have three caveolin proteins:caveolin-1 (Cav-1, or VIP21), caveolin-2 and caveolin-3 (or M-caveolin). Various classes of signalling molecules, including G-protein subunits, receptor and non-receptor tyrosine kinases, endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), and small GTPases, bind Cav-1 through its 'caveolin-scaffolding domain' [ ].Caveolins are proteins of about 20 Kd, they form high molecular mass homo-oligomers. Structurally they seem to have N-terminal and C-terminal hydrophilic segments and a long central transmembrane domain that probably forms a hairpin in the membrane. Both extremities are known to face the cytoplasm. Caveolae are enriched with cholesterol and Cav-1 is one of the few proteins that binds cholesterol tightly and specifically.
Short Name	Caveolin_CS