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Aquaporins

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.

Osmosis

Osmosis

Osmosis is the movement of free water molecules through a semipermeable membrane. The water's concentration gradient across the membrane is inversely proportional to the solutes' concentration. Whereas diffusion transports material across membranes and within cells, osmosis transports only water across a membrane, and the membrane limits the diffusion of solutes in the water. Osmosis is a special case of diffusion.
Water, like other substances, moves from a high concentration of...

Osmosis

Osmosis

Approximately 60% to 95% of the weight of living organisms is attributed to water. Therefore, maintaining appropriate water balance within cells is of paramount importance. Osmosis is the movement of water across a semipermeable membrane, such as a cell’s plasma membrane. In living organisms, water plays a crucial role as a solvent—a molecule that dissolves other molecules.

The Apoplast and Symplast

The Apoplast and Symplast

Plant growth depends on its ability to take up water and dissolved minerals from the soil. The root system of every plant is equipped with the necessary tissues to facilitate the entry of water and solutes. The plant tissues involved in the transport of water and minerals have two major compartments - the apoplast and the symplast. The apoplast includes everything outside the plasma membrane of living cells and consists of cell walls, extracellular spaces, xylem, phloem, and tracheids. The...

Responses to Salt Stress

Responses to Salt Stress

Salt stress—which can be triggered by high salt concentrations in a plant’s environment—can significantly affect plant growth and crop production by influencing photosynthesis and the absorption of water and nutrients.

Water and Mineral Acquisition

Water and Mineral Acquisition

Specialized tissues in plant roots have evolved to capture water, minerals, and some ions from the soil. Roots exhibit a variety of branching patterns that facilitate this process. The outermost root cells have specialized structures called root hairs that increase the root surface, thus increasing soil contact. Water can passively cross into roots, as the concentration of water in the soil is higher than that of the root tissue. Minerals, in contrast, are actively transported into root cells.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 11, 2026

Measuring the Osmotic Water Permeability Coefficient Pf of Spherical Cells: Isolated Plant Protoplasts as an Example

Measuring the Osmotic Water Permeability Coefficient Pf of Spherical Cells: Isolated Plant Protoplasts as an Example

Published on: October 8, 2014

Pollen Aquaporins: The Solute Factor.

Juliana A Pérez Di Giorgio¹, Gabriela C Soto², Jorge P Muschietti³

¹Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Frontiers in Plant Science

|November 25, 2016

Summary

Pollen aquaporins (AQPs) differ from other cells, lacking plasma membrane intrinsic proteins but utilizing TIPs and NIPs. This suggests pollen AQPs manage specific solute and water transport crucial for successful plant reproduction.

Keywords:

aquaporin fertilization membrane intrinsic protein plant fitness pollen germination solute permeability water and solute transport water channel

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The Infiltration-centrifugation Technique for Extraction of Apoplastic Fluid from Plant Leaves Using Phaseolus vulgaris as an Example

The Infiltration-centrifugation Technique for Extraction of Apoplastic Fluid from Plant Leaves Using Phaseolus vulgaris as an Example

Published on: December 19, 2014

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Last Updated: Mar 11, 2026

Measuring the Osmotic Water Permeability Coefficient Pf of Spherical Cells: Isolated Plant Protoplasts as an Example

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Published on: October 8, 2014

Author Spotlight: A High-Resolution, Single-Grain, In Vivo Pollen Hydration Bioassay for Arabidopsis thaliana

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The Infiltration-centrifugation Technique for Extraction of Apoplastic Fluid from Plant Leaves Using Phaseolus vulgaris as an Example

The Infiltration-centrifugation Technique for Extraction of Apoplastic Fluid from Plant Leaves Using Phaseolus vulgaris as an Example

Published on: December 19, 2014

Area of Science:

Plant Biology
Molecular Biology
Biophysics

Background:

Aquaporins (AQPs) are integral membrane proteins facilitating water and solute transport in cells.
Their roles extend to specialized functions like stomatal movement, pollen hydration, and germination.
Understanding AQP function in pollen is key to plant reproductive success.

Conclusions:

Pollen aquaporin machinery is distinct, emphasizing TIPs and NIPs for tailored water and solute transport.
This specialization is critical for pollen hydration, germination, and overall reproductive success.
Further research into pollen AQP-mediated solute transport is warranted.