M‐caveolin, a muscle‐specific caveolin‐related protein

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Abstract
Caveolae, small invaginations of the plasma membrane, are a characteristic feature of many mammalian cells. The best‐characterised caveolar protein is the integral membrane protein, VIP21‐caveolin. We now describe a novel homologue of VIP21‐caveolin, M‐caveolin, which is expressed exclusively in muscle. M‐caveolin was shown to be expressed in differentiated myotubes but not myoblasts. Epitope‐tagged M‐caveolin expressed in non‐muscle cells was targetted to surface caveolae where it colocalized with endogenous VIP21‐caveolin. M‐caveolin may play a specialised role in the caveolae of muscle cells.