title: Aquaporin-related proteins in the filter chamber of homopteran insects.
abstract: In the Homopteran order of insects, the plant xylem feeders exhibit a highly differentiated part of their digestive tract known as the filter chamber. In this tissue, water crosses plasma membranes through a transepithelial osmotic gradient. In previous studies on the filter chamber of Cicadella viridis, we purified and characterized from the plasma membranes a 25 kDa protein that we demonstrated to be an aquaporin (or water channel, member of the major intrinsic protein family, a group of membrane channels for small solutes). We called this protein AQPcic for Cicadella aquaporin. In the present study, we used polyclonal antibody anti-AQPcic in Western blotting and immunocytochemical analysis of the intestinal tract of Cercopis sanguinolenta, Philaenus spumarius, Aphrophora alni (Cercopidae), Euscelidius variegatus, and Scaphoideus titanus (Jassidae). Western blotting experiments revealed that immunologically related AQPcic proteins are found in those species. The molecular weight of these proteins is 15-26 kDa. Immunocytochemical studies on ultrathin filter-chamber sections revealed that the anti-AQPcic antibody systematically labelled the membrane microvilli of epithelial cells. A good correlation thus exists between the physiology of these cells and the presence of aquaporin-related proteins in their membranes.
authors.affiliation: Equipe "Canaux et Récepteurs Membranaires", URA CNRS 256, Université de Rennes 1, Campus de Beaulieu, F-35042 Rennes cedex, France.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Le Caherec
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Guillam
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Beuron
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cavalier
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gouranton
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Hubert
mesh_terms: D000825:Animal Structures / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D000818:Animals; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D020346:Aquaporins; D015153:Blotting, Western; D006430:Hemiptera / Q000737:chemistry*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D019476:Insect Proteins; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D016253:Microscopy, Immunoelectron; D008871:Microvilli / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014867:Water / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C102524:AQPcic protein, Cicadella viridis; D020346:Aquaporins; D019476:Insect Proteins; D007473:Ion Channels; D014867:Water