What is it about?
Here we present results showing that some aquaporins can be regulated by membrane tension changes. We tested two different types of plant aquaporins.
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Why is it important?
This is direct experimental evidences demonstrating the correlation between the function of the water channel and the mechanical state of the cell. Results show that the water flux diminishes by increasing the membrane tension, indicating that the channel has to be closed. Description of this regulatory mechanism is novel in the field of aquaporins.
Perspectives
Elucidating the mechanical regulation mechanism of aquaporins would let know more about these channels. We don´t know how the mechanics of the lipid bilayer modulates the function of the water channel directly. Biophysical aproaches at the molecular level will help to elucidate this issue. In addition, the role of the cytoskeletal components has to be determined. At the evulotionary level, we don´t know if this mechanism was present in the first aquaporins, or whether aquaporins from unicellular organisms present different mechanical regulatory properties in comparison with current plant or animal members. This is a new field in the study of aquaporins.
Marcelo Ozu
Universidad de Buenos Aires
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Tonoplast (Bv
TIP1;2) and plasma membrane (Bv
PIP2;1) aquaporins show different mechanosensitive properties, FEBS Letters, May 2017, Wiley,
DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.12671.
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