Plant aquaporins: Novel functions and regulation properties

Abstract

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 CO₂, H₂O₂, boron or silicon. Thus, aquaporins are involved in many great functions of plants, including nutrient acquisition, carbon fixation, cell signalling and stress responses.