Caveolae and Lipid Rafts in Endothelium: Valuable Organelles for Multiple Functions

Caveolae are flask-shaped invaginations of the plasma membrane found in numerous cell types and are particularly abundant in endothelial cells and adipocytes. The lipid composition of caveolae largely matches that of lipid rafts microdomains that are particularly enriched in cholesterol, sphingomyelin, glycosphingolipids, and saturated fatty acids. Unlike lipid rafts, whose existence remains quite elusive in living cells, caveolae can be clearly...