Developmental regulation of PV-1 in rat lung: association with the nuclear envelope and limited colocalization with Cav-1.

Plasmalemma vesicle protein-1 (PV-1) is a caveolae-associated protein that is enriched in lung endothelial cells. The PV-1 protein is first detected in the lung at embryonic day 12, before that of caveolin-1 (Cav-1). There is a postnatal rise in PV-1 and Cav-1 mRNA levels, reaching a peak at the time of weaning and declining to their lowest levels in the adult lung. In contrast, the PV-1 protein progressively increases during postnatal development with its highest levels in the adult lung; the Cav-1 protein remains relatively constant throughout this period. Alveolar endothelial cells express both PV-1 and Cav-1 proteins, but PV-1, unlike Cav-1, is also detectable in some bronchial epithelial cells. Endothelial cells transfected with a rat PV-1 construct show a punctate membrane distribution of PV-1, perinuclear accumulation, and an association with the nuclear envelope. In these cells, PV-1 exhibits only partial perinuclear colocalization with Cav-1 and F-actin. In summary, PV-1 is developmentally regulated in the rat lung and shows a divergent intracellular localization, with a limited caveolae/Cav-1 colocalization in cultured endothelial cells.