potocytosis

A type of caveolae-mediated vesicular trafficking, in which caveolae mediate the uptake of small solutes measuring less than 1 kDa (classically, folate and other vitamins) by pinching off, but remaining associated with, the plasma membrane. The small solutes then passively diffuse into the cytoplasm.

The molecular machinery involved in caveolar fission/fusion is identical to that used for other vesicular transport processes, as all require dynamin, VAMP, SNAP-25, SNARE complex and GTP hydrolysis.

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