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Sample Preparation using a Lipid Monolayer Method for Electron Crystallographic Studies
Published on: November 20, 2021
Classification and Gene Structure of Aquaporins
Long Xu1, Xiangdong Guo1, Weidong Wang2
1Department of Physiology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.
Abstract:
Aquaporins (AQPs) are a family of membrane water channels that basically function as regulators of intracellular and intercellular water flow. To date, 13 AQPs, distributed widely in specific cell types in various organs and tissues, have been characterized in humans. A pair of NPA boxes forming a pore is highly conserved among all aquaporins and is also key residues for the classification of AQP superfamily into four groups according to primary sequences. AQPs may also be classified based on their transport properties. So far, chromosome localization and gene structure of 13 human AQPs have been identified, which is definitely helpful for studying phenotypes and potential targets in naturally occurring and synthetic mutations in human or cells.
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