Plant aquaporins: novel functions and regulation properties.
Aquaporins are water channel proteins of intracellular and plasma membranes that play a crucial role in plant water relations. The present review focuses on the most recent findings concerning the molecular and cellular properties of plant aquaporins. The mechanisms of transport selectivity and gating (i.e. pore opening and closing) have recently been described, based on aquaporin structures at atomic resolution. Novel dynamic aspects of aquaporin subcellular localisation have been uncovered. Also, some aquaporin isoforms can transport, besides water, physiologically important molecules such as CO(2), H(2)O(2), boron or silicon. Thus, aquaporins are involved in many great functions of plants, including nutrient acquisition, carbon fixation, cell signalling and stress responses.
Maurel
Christophe
C
Biochimie et Physiologie Moléculaire des Plantes, Agro-M/CNRS/INRA/UM2 UMR 5004, Place Viala, F-34060 Montpellier Cedex 1, France. maurel@supagro.inra.fr
D020346:Aquaporins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D001693:Biological Transport, Active; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D007425:Intracellular Membranes / Q000378:metabolism; D015640:Ion Channel Gating; D008958:Models, Molecular; D010766:Phosphorylation; D010802:Phylogeny; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D010944:Plants / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011487:Protein Conformation; D014867:Water / Q000378:metabolism
D020346:Aquaporins; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D010940:Plant Proteins; D014867:Water