The project consists of three specific aims: (1) to test the hypothesis that a caveolin-dependent complex regulates cholesterol transport between the endoplasmic reticulum and caveolae membranes; (2) to test the hypothesis that palmitoylation and protein kinase C-mediated phosphorylation of caveolin affect cholesterol binding, complex formation, and transport; and (3) to test the hypothesis that oxidized lipoproteins alter the composition of caveolae membranes by disrupting cholesterol transport mechanisms.
The aims are presented in a logical sequence and the experiments are well-planned, with attention to controls, and, when possible, multiple approaches.
