Aquaporins and Plant Leaf Movements

Plant leaf movements can be mediated by specialized motor organs, the pulvini, or can be epinastic (i.e. based on different growth velocities of the adaxial and abaxial halves of the leaf). Both processes are associated with diurnally regulated increases in rates of membrane water transport, which in many cases has been shown to be facilitated by aquaporins. Rhythmic leaf movements are known from many plant species, but few papers deal with the involvement of aquaporins in such movements.