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Developmental expression and physiological roles of aquaporin‐11 in mice
Author(s) -
Ishibashi Kenichi,
Kobayashi Katsuki,
Kageyama Yukio,
Sasaki Sei
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.20.5.a1220-d
Subject(s) - aquaporin , biology , sertoli cell , endocrinology , medicine , messenger rna , microbiology and biotechnology , kidney , gene , spermatogenesis , genetics
Aquaporin‐11 (AQP11) has low homology with conventional aquaporins especially at NPA boxes which constitute the pore. Its localization in the cytosol makes its functional studies difficult. To get insights into its physiological roles we examined its expression in developmental stages and water‐deprived conditions. New born mice expressed AQP11 mRNA in the intestines, liver and kidney but not in the testis. Its expression in the testis was first observed after three weeks. AQP11 appeared after AQP8 and before AQP7. It was expressed in Sertoli cells. AQP11 KO mice (Mol. Cell. Biol. 25: 7770, 2005) had decreased cellularity in seminiferous tubules but were fertile. Dehydration and rehydration of adult mice did not change AQP11 mRNA expression in the kidney cortex and jejunum. It was expressed intracellularly in the proximal tubules, epithelia of intestines and hepatocytes. AQP11 KO mice developed vacuoles in these epithelia and had growth defect. The thymus and brain of AQP11 KO mice appeared normal. In summary, AQP11 is developmentally regulated in the testis and its function may be a nutrients transport.