Caveolin regulation of neuronal intracellular signaling

Abstract

Caveolin proteins physically interact with and compartmentalize membrane-localized signaling proteins to facilitate high-fidelity intracellular signaling. Though primarily studied outside the nervous system, recent investigations have revealed that caveolin proteins are key modulators of a variety of neuronal intracellular signaling pathways. Through both protein aggregation and segregation, caveolin proteins can exert positive and negative influences on intracellular signaling. This review will detail recent findings regarding caveolin function in the brain.

Fig. 1

Examples of CAV-dependent modulation of intracellular signaling. a Clustering: CAVs can pair a GPCR and its obligate G-protein to facilitate intracellular signaling. b Isolation: CAVs can segregate a GPCR from a G-protein to attenuate intracellular signaling. c Trafficking: CAVs can transport membrane-localized signaling moieties to and from the plasma membrane to exert both positive and negative regulation of intracellular signaling