The evolutionary aspects of aquaporin family

Kenichi Ishibashi1, Shintaro Kondo, Shigeki Hara

  • 1Dept. of Medical Physiology, Meiji Pharmeceutical Univ., Kiyose, Tokyo, Japan. kishiba@my-pharm.ac.jp

Related Concept Videos

Aquaporins01:25

Aquaporins

Aquaporins or AQPs are a family of integral membrane proteins whose primary function is to transport water, while some called aquaglyceroporins also transport glycerol. In addition, aquaporins have also been suspected to be involved in transporting volatile substances, such as carbon dioxide and ammonia, across membranes. Such AQPs that act as gas channels are often highly expressed in cells involved in the gaseous exchange, such as red blood cells, epithelial cells, and pulmonary capillaries.
Reabsorption and Secretion in the DCT and Collecting Duct01:26

Reabsorption and Secretion in the DCT and Collecting Duct

The early phase of the DCT manages the reabsorption of approximately 10-15% of filtered water, 5–10% of filtered sodium, and 5–10% of filtered chloride. This process is facilitated by Na+–Cl− symporters in apical membranes and sodium-potassium pumps, as well as Cl− leakage channels in basolateral membranes. The early DCT also stands out as a site where parathyroid hormone (PTH) stimulates calcium reabsorption, depending on the body's requirements.
The distal part of the DCT, along with the...
ATP Driven Pumps III: V-type Pumps01:30

ATP Driven Pumps III: V-type Pumps

V-type pumps are ATP-driven pumps found in the vacuolar membranes of plants, yeast, endosomal and lysosomal membranes of animal cells, plasma membranes of a few specialized eukaryotic cells, and some prokaryotes. They are also known as the V1Vo-ATPase, that couple ATP hydrolysis to transport protons against a concentration gradient.
The peripheral or cytosolic V1 domain with eight subunits is involved in ATP hydrolysis. The integral or transmembrane V0 domain containing at least five subunits...
Endocrine Signaling01:45

Endocrine Signaling

Endocrine cells produce hormones to communicate with remote target cells found in other organs. The hormone reaches these distant areas using the circulatory system. This exposes the whole organism to the hormone but only those cells expressing hormone receptors or target cells are affected. Thus, endocrine signaling induces slow responses from its target cells but these effects also last longer.
Multi-pass Transmembrane Proteins and β-barrels01:09

Multi-pass Transmembrane Proteins and β-barrels

In multi-pass transmembrane proteins, the polypeptide chain crosses the membrane more than once. The transmembrane polypeptide chain either forms an α-helix or β-strand structure. α-Helix containing multi-pass transmembrane proteins are ubiquitous, whereas β-strand containing ones are mainly found in gram-negative bacteria, mitochondria, and chloroplasts.
α-Helix containing multi-pass transmembrane proteins
Multi-pass transmembrane proteins such as G-protein-linked receptors (GPCRs) and...
Regulation of Water Intake01:25

Regulation of Water Intake

Osmolality refers to the number of solute particles per kilogram of solvent in a solution. Plasma osmolality specifically indicates the total number of solute particles per kilogram of water in blood plasma. This value reflects the body's hydration status and is tightly regulated through mechanisms controlling water intake and output. While water consumption is a conscious decision, the body has intrinsic regulatory systems to maintain fluid balance. Dehydration, a state of water deficit...