Features and function of plant aquaporins

✍ Scribed by Ralf Kaldenhoff; Martin Eckert

• Book ID: 104373560
• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1999
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 270 KB
• Volume: 52
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1011-1344
• DOI: 10.1016/s1011-1344(99)00140-2

✦ Synopsis

Membrane intrinsic proteins (MIPs) that facilitate water transport across biological membranes have been identified in many single-and multi-cellular organisms. Starting from an overview about the MIP protein family, common structures of aquaporins are described. A detailed report about tonoplast-and plasma-membrane-located plant aquaporins is given and several aspects about regulation of the corresponding genes, with emphasis on light-induced expression, are discussed. After reviewing techniques and results about the functional analysis of these proteins by heterologous and homologous expression systems, the plant-specific attributes of aquaporin regulation are considered, including a discussion about the use of solutions containing heavy-metal ions for inhibition of aquaporin-mediated water transport.