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Transport of water across the plasma membrane is a fundamental process occurring in all living organisms. In bacteria, osmotic movement of water across the cytoplasmic membrane is needed to maintain cellular turgor; however, the molecular mechanisms of this process are poorly defined. Involvement of aquaporin water channels in bacterial water permeability was suggested by the recent discovery of the aquaporin gene,aqpZ , inEscherichia coli . By employing cryoelectron microscopy to compareE. coli cells containing (AqpZ+ ) and lacking (AqpZ− ) aquaporin, we show that the AqpZ water channel rapidly mediates large water fluxes in response to sudden changes in extracellular osmolarity. These findings (i) demonstrate for the first time functional expression of a prokaryotic water channel, (ii) evidence the bidirectional water channel feature of AqpZ, (iii) document a role for AqpZ in bacterial osmoregulation, and (iv) define a suitable model for studying the physiology of prokaryotic water transport.

Visualization of AqpZ-Mediated Water Permeability in Escherichia coli by Cryoelectron Microscopy