Water is the major component of cells and tissues, and the movement of water across the cell membrane is a fundamental property of life. Until the discovery of the first water channel, aquaporin, it was long assumed that the transport of water was due to simple diffusion through the lipid bilayer membrane that encloses cells. Aquaporin (AQP) molecules were first discovered in the human uterus i...

PURPOSE It is suggested that caveolin and aquaporin might be closely associated with bladder signal activity. We investigated the effect of the deletion of caveolin 1, using caveolin 1 knockout mice, on the expression of aquaporin 1 in order to identify their relation in the urothelium of the urinary bladder. METHODS The cellular localization and expressions of aquaporin 1 and caveolin 1, in ...

Proper targeting of the aquaporin-2 (AQP2) water channel to the collecting duct apical plasma membrane is critical for the urine concentrating mechanism and body water homeostasis. However, the trafficking mechanisms that recruit AQP2 to the plasma membrane are still unclear. Snapin is emerging as an important mediator in the initial interaction of trafficked proteins with target soluble N-ethy...

Forward osmosis (FO) plays an increasingly important role in membrane processes because of its advantages compared to traditional pressure-driven processes. There are different types water-selective FO membranes. In this study, a biomimetic hollow fiber module comprising active layer polyamide thin film composite (TFC) with integrated aquaporin proteins and effective area 0.6 m2 is used study t...

Plasma membrane vesicles isolated by two-phase partitioning from the storage root of Beta vulgaris show atypically high water permeability that is equivalent only to those reported for active aquaporins in tonoplast or animal red cells (Pf=542 microm s(-1)). The values were determined from the shrinking kinetics measured by stopped-flow light scattering. This high Pf was only partially inhibite...

In recent years, the use of biomimetic membranes that incorporate membrane proteins, i.e., biomimetic-hybrid membranes, has increased almost exponentially. Key membrane proteins in these systems have been aquaporins, which selectively permeabilize cellular membranes to water. Aquaporins may be incorporated into synthetic lipid bilayers or to more stable structures made of block copolymers or so...

In recent years, the use of biomimetic membranes that incorporate membrane proteins, i.e., biomimetic-hybrid membranes, has increased almost exponentially. Key membrane proteins in these systems have been aquaporins, which selectively permeabilize cellular membranes to water. Aquaporins may be incorporated into synthetic lipid bilayers or to more stable structures made of block copolymers or so...

Aquaporins in the plasma and vacuolar membranes play a key role in the intercellular and intracellular water transport in plants. First, we quantitated the absolute amounts for mRNAs of eight aquaporin isoforms in hypocotyls of radish seedlings. Then, we investigated the effects of salt and water stresses (150 mM NaCl, 300 mM mannitol and 20% polyethylene glycol) and phytohormones (gibberellic ...

During antidiuresis, increases in vasopressin (AVP)-elicited osmotic water permeability in the terminal inner medullary collecting duct (tIMCD) raise luminal calcium concentrations to levels ( $ 5 mM) above those associated with the formation of calcium-containing precipitates in the urine. Calcium/polycation receptor proteins (CaRs) enable cells in the parathyroid gland and kidney thick ascend...