title: Patterns of aquaporin expression in the canine eye.
abstract: Aquaporins (AQPs) function as water channels in many types of cells involved in fluid transport. More than 10 isoforms have been identified, and these are differentially expressed in many types of mammalian cells in the body. Six AQPs (AQP0, AQP1, AQP3, AQP4, AQP5, and AQP9) have been identified in the eyes of humans and/or rodents. The unique permeability characteristics and distribution of AQPs indicate their diverse roles in the regulation of water homeostasis in the eye. The aim of this study was to investigate the localisation of AQPs in normal canine eyes, with AQP0 protein expressed in the crystalline lens and retina. Although AQP1 mRNA was detected in various areas of the canine eye, its protein expression was limited to the cornea, iris and ciliary body. AQP4 was identified in the iris, retina and optic nerve. AQP3 and AQP5 were found in the cornea and conjunctiva, and their expression was particularly high in the limbus. AQP3 and AQP5 were present in the nictitating membrane indicating that they play a role in water transport within the membrane. The observations suggested that several subtypes of the AQP family are involved in the regulation of water homeostasis in the canine eye.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Veterinary Molecular Pathology and Therapeutics, Division of Animal Life Science, Graduate School, Institute of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo, 3-5-8 Saiwai-cho, Fuchu, Tokyo 183-8509, Japan.
authors.forename: Kaoru
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Karasawa
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Veterinary Molecular Pathology and Therapeutics, Division of Animal Life Science, Graduate School, Institute of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo, 3-5-8 Saiwai-cho, Fuchu, Tokyo 183-8509, Japan. Electronic address: akane@cc.tuat.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Akane
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Veterinary Molecular Pathology and Therapeutics, Division of Animal Life Science, Graduate School, Institute of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo, 3-5-8 Saiwai-cho, Fuchu, Tokyo 183-8509, Japan.
authors.forename: Kyungsook
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Veterinary Molecular Pathology and Therapeutics, Division of Animal Life Science, Graduate School, Institute of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo, 3-5-8 Saiwai-cho, Fuchu, Tokyo 183-8509, Japan.
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Matsuda
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Veterinary Molecular Pathology and Therapeutics, Division of Animal Life Science, Graduate School, Institute of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo, 3-5-8 Saiwai-cho, Fuchu, Tokyo 183-8509, Japan.
authors.forename: Noriko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Okamoto
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Veterinary Molecular Pathology and Therapeutics, Division of Animal Life Science, Graduate School, Institute of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo, 3-5-8 Saiwai-cho, Fuchu, Tokyo 183-8509, Japan.
authors.forename: Kumiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Oida
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Veterinary Molecular Pathology and Therapeutics, Division of Animal Life Science, Graduate School, Institute of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo, 3-5-8 Saiwai-cho, Fuchu, Tokyo 183-8509, Japan.
authors.forename: Keitaro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ohmori
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Veterinary Molecular Pathology and Therapeutics, Division of Animal Life Science, Graduate School, Institute of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo, 3-5-8 Saiwai-cho, Fuchu, Tokyo 183-8509, Japan. Electronic address: hiro@cc.tuat.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Matsuda
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D020346:Aquaporins / Q000378:metabolism*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D004285:Dogs; D005123:Eye / Q000378:metabolism*; D005136:Eye Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique / Q000662:veterinary; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary
chemical_list: D020346:Aquaporins; D005136:Eye Proteins; C030328:aquaporin 0