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A lipid-centric view of endocytosis by caveolae

Nature Cell Biology volume 28, pages 852–860 (2026) Cite this article

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Abstract

Caveolae have long been considered to be an alternative endocytic pathway, with distinct cargoes, but generally similar functions, to clathrin-coated pits. Here we suggest that the mechanisms of caveola formation and their scission are tightly interlinked and rely on specific lipids. These mechanisms are fundamentally different to those driving the formation and fission of coated pits. Both formation and scission of caveolae are driven by lipid-induced shaping of the caveolar domain, and we present biophysical models for lipid-driven curvature generation and its coupling with scission. In addition, we propose that these new insights have important implications for understanding the function of endocytosis mediated by caveolae. Rather than a parallel endocytic pathway for protein cargo, we argue that caveolae are a lipid-sensitive mobilized multifunctional surface domain.

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Fig. 1: Electron micrographs of caveolae.
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Fig. 2: Comparison of caveolae and clathrin-coated pits.
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Fig. 3: Model of membrane bending and scission caused by the intramembrane protein–lipid core of caveolae, with EHD2 preventing scission.
The alternative text for this image may have been generated using AI.

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Acknowledgements

R.G.P. was supported by an Australian Research Council (ARC) Laureate Fellowship (FL210100107). R.L. was supported by the Swedish Research Council (dnr 2021-05117). M.M.K. was supported by the Israeli Science Foundation (grant no. 1994/22) and holds the Joseph Klafter Chair in Biophysics. We are grateful to N. Ariotti and V. Tillu for many insightful discussions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

    Robert G. Parton

  2. Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

    Robert G. Parton

  3. Gray School of Medical Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel

    Michael M. Kozlov

  4. Medical and Translational Biology, Umea, Sweden

    Richard Lundmark

  5. Umea Centre for Microbial Research, Umea University, Umea, Sweden

    Richard Lundmark

  6. Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden, Umea University, Umea, Sweden

    Richard Lundmark

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  1. Robert G. Parton
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R.G.P., M.M.K. and R.L. all contributed to conceptualization, writing, reviewing and editing of the manuscript.

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Parton, R.G., Kozlov, M.M. & Lundmark, R. A lipid-centric view of endocytosis by caveolae. Nat Cell Biol 28, 852–860 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41556-026-01945-5

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