Aquaporin Water Channels
Aquaporin Water Channels - Related Videos
04:21
An Assay to Detect Serum Anti-aquaporin-4 Immunoglobulin G
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2025
The video demonstrates a cell-based assay for detecting anti-aquaporin-4 immunoglobulin G using a biochip containing untransfected cells and transfected cells expressing aquaporin-4. This method has applications in diagnosing neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders, confirmed by strong green fluorescence on the biochip.
01:25
Aquaporins
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2023
Aquaporins or AQPs are a family of integral membrane proteins whose primary function is to transport water, while some called aquaglyceroporins also transport glycerol. In addition, aquaporins have also been suspected to be involved in transporting volatile substances, such as carbon dioxide and ammonia, across membranes. Such AQPs that act as gas channels are often highly expressed in cells involved in the gaseous exchange, such as red blood cells, epithelial cells, and pulmonary capillaries.
01:56
Inducing Paralysis in a Mouse Model via Transfer of Aquaporin-4-Specific Th17 Cells
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2025
This video demonstrates the procedure of inducing paralysis by transferring activated Th17 cells targeting aquaporin-4 into a mouse model. In the central nervous system, the activated Th17 cells interact with aquaporin-4-expressing astrocytes, triggering an immune response that leads to tail and limb paralysis in the mouse.
09:29
Induction of Paralysis and Visual System Injury in Mice by T Cells Specific for Neuromyelitis Optica Autoantigen Aquaporin-4
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Cited by 10 •
2017
Here, we present a protocol to induce paralysis and opticospinal inflammation by transfer of aquaporin-4 (AQP4)-specific T cells from AQP4-/- mice into WT mice. In addition, we demonstrate how to use serial optical coherence tomography to monitor visual system dysfunction.
01:19
Ion Channels
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2019
The movement of ions like sodium, potassium, and calcium into and out of the cell is essential to maintain the electrochemical gradient in living cells. The ion channels—a class of membrane transport proteins—help maintain this ionic gradient for the smooth functioning of physiological activities such as maintaining cell size and volume, conducting nerve impulses, and gas and nutrient exchange. Ion channels are specialized integral membrane proteins on the plasma membrane that allow specific...
FAQs
Two structural features create the channel’s selectivity. Conserved NPA motifs help orient water molecules within the narrow pore, while an aromatic/arginine selectivity filter restricts passage by excluding ions and protons. Together, these elements allow rapid water movement without permitting broad electrical or solute permeability, which is essential for maintaining controlled membrane transport.
The pore is shaped and chemically organized to favor water molecules rather than charged particles. Water is oriented as it travels through the channel, whereas the selectivity filter prevents ions and protons from crossing. This distinction lets membranes achieve high water permeability while preserving the electrochemical and osmotic differences needed for cellular regulation.
Aquaporin activity influences how readily water moves across a cell membrane, so it can affect the balance of water inside and outside the cell. Changes in this movement can alter cell volume when osmotic conditions vary. Consequently, aquaporins are important for understanding how organisms maintain fluid balance at the cellular level.
In the kidney, aquaporins support the movement of water involved in reabsorption, helping the body regulate its fluid balance. Their activity links membrane permeability with renal physiology, making them useful for examining how water is recovered rather than lost. Research on these channels therefore connects molecular structure with whole-organism control of hydration.
Plant tissues rely on regulated water movement, and aquaporins provide a membrane-level basis for examining that transport. Their activity is especially relevant to plant stress responses, where water availability can influence tissue hydration and physiological performance. Studying these channels helps connect membrane permeability with how plants manage water under changing conditions.
Aquaporin research can clarify how selective membrane permeability supports renal function, plant water transport, and cellular volume control. Altered channel activity is also associated with disorders involving fluid balance and nervous-system function. These connections make aquaporins useful research targets for investigating disease mechanisms and evaluating their potential as therapeutic targets.