Caveolins: Expression of Regulating Systemic Physiological Functions in Various Predicaments.

Caveolins are membrane proteins which contains caveolae. They are present in the plasma membrane. Many researchers found that caveolae have been associated with expression of the caveolins in major physiological networks of mammalian cells. Subtypes of caveolin including caveolin-1 and caveolin-2 have been found in micro arteries of rat brain, while caveolin-3 has been found in astrocytes. Caveolin-1 and caveolae play important roles in Alzheimer's disease, cancer, ischemic preconditioning-mediated cardio-protection, postmenopausal alterations in women, and age-related neurodegeneration. Caveolin-1 may modify fatty acid transmembrane flux in adipocytes. The discovery of a link between ischemia preconditioning, cardio-protection, and endothelial nitric oxide synthase has supported cardiovascular research tremendously. Therefore, caveolins are effective in regulation of cellular, cardiovascular, brain, and immune processes. They ascertain new signalling pathways and link the functionalities of these pathways. This review paper focuses on contribution of caveolins in various conditions, caveolin expression at the molecular level and their physiological effects in many organ systems.

Caveolins; An Assailant or An Ally of Various Cellular Disorders.

Caveolae have impressive morphological highlights of the cytomembrane of mammalian cells which involve in wide diversity of cellular functions involving signaling pathways and cholesterol hastening. Caveolin proteins possess a 'scaffolding' domain which for caveolin-1 and caveolin-3 appear to act a dominant role in signal regulation through caveolae. Caveolin-1 is treated to be protein in the cytomembrane entrapped with caveolae in endothelial cells and vascular smooth muscle cells which diminish nitric oxide (NO) by fill up the calcium/calmodulin (Ca2+/CaM) confining point of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), decrease NO generation produce endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerotic injury development. It is a cholesterol-binding layer protein associated with cell cholesterol transport and also shows cardioprotective action through ischemic preconditioning (IPC) in diabetic and postmenopausal rat heart. Additionally it is ensnared in the procedures of tumorigenesis, prostate disease, and inflammation. The present study in the paper is to explore the structural functionalities of caveolins and their contributory role in CVS disorders and various other diseases.