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Updated: Jul 2, 2025

Author Spotlight: Exploring Cellular Zinc Regulation Through ZnT1 Functionality
Published on: June 2, 2023
Deciphering Molecular Mechanisms Involved in the Modulation of Human Aquaporins' Water Permeability by Zinc Cations:
Robin Mom1,2, Stéphane Réty1, Vincent Mocquet1
1Laboratoire de Biologie et Modélisation de la Cellule, ENS de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard, CNRS UMR 5239, INSERM U1293, 46 Allée d'Italie Site Jacques Monod, F-69007 Lyon, France.
Abstract:
Aquaporins (AQPs) constitute a wide family of water channels implicated in all kind of physiological processes. Zinc is the second most abundant trace element in the human body and a few studies have highlighted regulation of AQP0 and AQP4 by zinc. In the present work, we addressed the putative regulation of AQPs by zinc cations in silico through molecular dynamics simulations of human AQP0, AQP2, AQP4, and AQP5. Our results align with other scales of study and several in vitro techniques, hence strengthening the reliability of this regulation by zinc. We also described two distinct putative molecular mechanisms associated with the increase or decrease in AQPs' water permeability after zinc binding. In association with other studies, our work will help deciphering the interaction networks existing between zinc and channel proteins.
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