Caveolae, the characteristic plasma membrane invaginations present in many cells, have been associated with numerous functions that still remain debated. Taking into account the particular abundance of caveolae in cells experiencing mechanical stress, it was proposed that caveolae constitute a membrane reservoir and buffer the membrane tension upon mechanical stress. The present work aimed to check this proposition experimentally. First, the influence of caveolae on the membrane tension was studied on mouse lung endothelial cells in resting conditions using tether extraction with optically...
Caveolae, the characteristic plasma membrane invaginations present in many cells, have been associated with numerous functions that still remain debat...