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Resurrection of Dormant Daphnia magna: Protocol and Applications
Published on: January 19, 2018
Water homeostasis: evolutionary medicine.
1Harvard Medical School, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 330 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
Transactions of the American Clinical and Climatological Association
|January 11, 2013
Summary
Organisms precisely control water movement across cell membranes using lipid bilayers, glycoproteins, and aquaporin channels. These mechanisms allow for significant regulation of water permeability, crucial for homeostasis and potential disease treatments.
Area of Science:
- Cell biology
- Physiology
- Biophysics
Background:
- Water transport is essential for homeostasis in all organisms.
- Cell membranes regulate water permeability through lipid packing and glycoproteins.
- Aquaporins are key protein channels that facilitate selective water flux.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review mechanisms of water permeability regulation across species.
- To highlight the role of barrier epithelia and aquaporins in water transport.
- To explore potential therapeutic applications of manipulating water permeability.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on water transport mechanisms.
- Analysis of lipid bilayer properties affecting water flow.
- Examination of aquaporin function, deployment, and gating.
Main Results:
- Cell membranes vary water permeability over 4-5 orders of magnitude.
- The exofacial leaflet of barrier epithelia is a primary resistor to water flow.
- Glycoproteins and aquaporins significantly modulate water flux.
Conclusions:
- Diverse species employ sophisticated strategies to control water permeability.
- Understanding these mechanisms offers insights into physiological regulation.
- Targeting water transport pathways may present novel therapeutic strategies for diseases.
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