Ciechanowicz Andrzej, Krzyształowska Maja, Bińcjczak-Kuleta Agnieszka
Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Department of Clinical and Molecular Biochemistry, Poland.
Pol Merkur Lekarski. 2009 Aug;27(158):144-7.
Aquaporins represent an ubiquitous class of integral membrane proteins that are serving in the passage of water across cell membrane. A subset of aquaporins may additionally facilitate transmembrane permeation of small neutral solutes such as glicerol (aquaglyceroporins). The widespread occurrence and an unique function of aquaporins give rise to the high degree of their intra- and interspecies homology, especially in their regions forming the internal wall of channel. The review presents current knowledge about the role of water channels in regulation of body homeostasis basing on results of experiments with mice lacking various aquaporins genes and studies on humans with inherited or acquired abnormalities in their function as well as about potential perspectives of pharmacological regulation of aquaporin activity.
水通道蛋白是一类普遍存在的整合膜蛋白，负责水穿过细胞膜的过程。水通道蛋白的一个亚群还可能促进甘油等小的中性溶质的跨膜渗透（水甘油通道蛋白）。水通道蛋白的广泛存在及其独特功能导致它们在种内和种间具有高度同源性，尤其是在形成通道内壁的区域。这篇综述基于对缺乏各种水通道蛋白基因的小鼠的实验结果以及对功能存在遗传性或获得性异常的人类的研究，介绍了关于水通道在调节身体内环境稳态中的作用的当前知识，以及水通道蛋白活性的药理学调节的潜在前景。
