Caevolin

Caveolins are a family of integral membrane proteins that are the major components of caveolae membranes and are involved in receptor-independent endocytosis.

In vertebrates, the coding caveolin genes consist of 3 members:

• CAV1
• CAV2 and
• CAV3

which respectively encode the proteins caveolin-1, caveolin-2 and caveolin-3. All three members are membrane proteins with similar structure. Caveolin forms oligomers associated with cholesterol and sphingolipids in specific areas of the cell membrane. Due to the three-dimensional structural peculiarity of these complexes, there is an inward membrane curvature of the cell membrane the caveolae. Caveolins function as scaffolding proteins within caveolar membranes by compartmentalizing and concentrating signaling molecules. Several classes of signaling 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".

Caveolin-1 is highly expressed in various dermal and subdermal cells and physically interacts with signaling molecules and receptors, including transforming growth factor beta(TGF-β), matrix metalloproteinases , heat shock proteins, toll-like and glucocorticoid receptors. It should therefore be instrumental in the regulation of cellular signaling in various hyperproliferative and inflammatory skin diseases. Caveolin-1 is not only an important pathophysiological factor in various hyperproliferative and inflammatory dermatological diseases, but may also serve as a target for their treatment. Targeted regulation of caveolin is likely to serve as a new treatment strategy in dermatology.

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2. Huth E (2005) Cellular uptake and intracellular fate of particulate drug delivery systems. Inaugural dissertation for the award of the doctorate of the Faculty of Chemistry, Pharmacy and Geosciences of the Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg.

3. Kruglikov IL et al (2019) Caveolin as a universal target in dermatology. Int J Mol Sci 21:80.