Fig. 11. A model for trafficking in the caveolar membrane system of CHO cells. Taken together, our observations suggest that cells contain a more extensive caveolar membrane system than has been previously appreciated. In CHO cells it appears to consist of a population of fairly immobile and stable caveolae at the plasma membrane, peri-centrosomal caveosomes and a population of transport intermediates that may include both cavicles and tubules that serve as bi-directional transport intermediates between caveolae and caveosomes. The cavicles move along microtubules but cortical actin filaments restrict their inward mobility. Red, caveolin-1; green, caveosome; blue, actin; pink/purple, microtubule.

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