cav-2 encodes one of two C. elegans proteins related to caveolins, integral transmembrane proteins that are believed to function in regulation of signal transduction and that are the major component of caveolae, specialized lipid rafts found in the plasma membrane of most cell types; as loss of cav-2 function via large-scale RNA-mediated interference (RNAi) screens does not result in any obvious abnormalities, the role of cav-2 in C. elegans development and/or behavior is not yet known; cav-2 mRNA is expressed in eggs and mixed stage populations.