Caveolae are specialized cell-membrane domains that maintain integrity, trafficking, and signal transduction. In muscle, important proteins for caveolar structure and function are caveolin 3 and cavin1/ptrf. Patients lacking caveolae have rippling muscle, muscular dystrophy, lipodystrophy and cardiac conduction defects. Cav-3 knockout mice are insulin resistant, have decreased glucose uptake in skeletal muscle, exhibit impaired glucose tolerance, and have increased serum lipids. Cav-3 is also a binding partner of the β2- adrenergic receptor, suggesting an important role in catecholamine-induced lipolysis. None of these features have been studied comprehensively in man. We will study the role of insulin signaling and lipid metabolism in caveolinopathies in vivo and in vitro.
DFG Programme
Clinical Research Units
