Tanghe An, Van Dijck Patrick, Thevelein Johan M
Laboratory of Molecular Cell Biology, Institute of Botany and Microbiology, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven and Flanders Interuniversity Institute for Biotechnology (VIB), Kasteelpark Arenberg 31, B-3001 Leuven-Heverlee, Flanders, Belgium.
Trends Microbiol. 2006 Feb;14(2):78-85. doi: 10.1016/j.tim.2005.12.001. Epub 2006 Jan 10.
Aquaporins are channel proteins that enhance the permeability of cell membranes for water. They have been found in Bacteria, Archaea and Eukaryotes. However, their absence in many microorganisms suggests that aquaporins do not fulfill a broad role such as turgor regulation or osmoadaptation but, instead, fulfill a role that enables microorganisms to have specific lifestyles. The recent discovery that aquaporins enhance cellular tolerance against rapid freezing suggests that they have ecological relevance. We have identified several examples of large-scale freeze-thawing of microbes in nature and we also draw attention to alternative lifestyle-related functions for aquaporins, which will be a focus of future research.
水通道蛋白是一种能增强细胞膜对水通透性的通道蛋白。它们在细菌、古菌和真核生物中均有发现。然而，在许多微生物中未发现水通道蛋白，这表明水通道蛋白并非发挥诸如膨压调节或渗透适应等广泛作用，而是发挥着使微生物具有特定生活方式的作用。最近发现水通道蛋白可增强细胞对快速冷冻的耐受性，这表明它们具有生态相关性。我们已经确定了自然界中微生物大规模冻融的几个例子，并且我们还提请注意水通道蛋白与生活方式相关的其他功能，这将是未来研究的重点。
