Purpose of review: Substantial evidence documents the key role of lipid (membrane) rafts and caveolae as microdomains that concentrate a wide variety of receptors and postreceptor components regulated by hormones, neurotransmitters and growth factors.
Recent findings: Recent data document that these microdomains are important in regulating vascular endothelial and smooth muscle cells and renal epithelial cells, and particularly in signal transduction across the plasma membrane.
Summary: Raft/caveolae domains are cellular regions, including in cardiovascular and renal epithelial cells, which organize a large number of signal transduction components, thereby providing spatially and temporally efficient regulation of cell function.