Caveolin as the Principal Marker of the Caveolae - Essay Example

CAV-1 and CAV-2 can be found in most cells whereas CAV-3 can be found in muscle cells of the heart (Yuan, Garcia, and Hales 275). Having a complete sequence status, the size of the amino acid length of CAV-1 is 178 (UniProtKB). As a 21- to 24-kDa protein, CAV-1 is composed of 16 amino acids longer than CAV-2 and additional N-terminal 27 amino acids as compared to CAV-3 (Fielding 177).

CAV-1 has two variants known as CAV-1α (contains amino acid tyrosine 14) and CAV-1β (does not contain the “first 31 amino acid present in CAV 1α) (Mercier, Jasmin, and Lisanti 18). Both CAV-1α and 1β can be found in the lungs whereas CAV-1β can be found in the epithelial cells (Yuan, Garcia, and Hales 275). With regards to internalization of the material, Garcia and Hales (275) explained that CAV-1 can be phosphorylated in “Rab4-labelled, Rab5-labelled or the early endosome antigen-1-labeled compartments which then subsequently move to the Rab11-associated compartment”.