Functional reconstitution of a rice aquaporin water channel, PIP1;1, by a micro-batchwise methodology

Molecular cloning of a plasma membrane aquaporin in Stipa purpurea, and exploration of its role in drought stress tolerance

Stipa purpurea is widely distributed on the Tibetan Plateau, and has high drought resistance. Plasma membrane intrinsic proteins are a type of aquaporin. They regulate the movement of water and are associated with plant protective reactions to biotic and abiotic stresses. We characterized a plasma membrane intrinsic protein from S. purpurea (SpPIP1) and elucidated its role in molecular aspects of the plant's response to drought stress. The full-length open reading frame of SpPIP1 was 870 bp and encoded 289 amino acids. The transcript level of SpPIP1 was higher in the root of S. purpurea than in the flower, leaf and stem. The level of SpPIP1 transcript increased significantly when treated with drought treatment. Subcellular localization result showed that SpPIP1 was localized in the plasma membrane. Ectopic expression of SpPIP1 in Arabidopsis thaliana resulted in plants with higher tolerance to drought treatment. SpPIP1 of S. purpurea may mediate plant response to arid environments.

Mutual Interactions between Aquaporins and Membrane Components

In recent years, a number of studies have been focused on the structural evaluation of protein complexes in order to get mechanistic insights into how proteins communicate at the molecular level within the cell. Specific sites of protein-aquaporin interaction have been evaluated and new forms of regulation of aquaporins described, based on these associations. Heterotetramerizations of aquaporin isoforms are considered as novel regulatory mechanisms for plasma membrane (PIPs) and tonoplast (TIPs) proteins, influencing their intrinsic permeability and trafficking dynamics in the adaptive response to changing environmental conditions. However, protein-protein interaction is an extensive theme that is difficult to tackle and new methodologies are being used to study the physical interactions involved. Bimolecular fluorescence complementation and the identification of cross-linked peptides based on tandem mass spectra, that are complementary to other methodologies such as heterologous expression, co-precipitation assays or confocal fluorescence microscopy, are discussed in this review. The chemical composition and the physical characteristics of the lipid bilayer also influence many aspects of membrane aquaporins, including their functionality. The molecular driving forces stabilizing the positions of the lipids around aquaporins could define their activity, thereby altering the conformational properties. Therefore, an integrative approach to the relevance of the membrane-aquaporin interaction to different processes related to plant cell physiology is provided. Finally, it is described how the interactions between aquaporins and copolymer matrixes or biological compounds offer an opportunity for the functional incorporation of aquaporins into new biotechnological advances.

Aquaporin plays an important role in mediating chloroplastic CO2 concentration under high-N supply in rice (Oryza sativa) plants

Our previous studies demonstrated that chloroplastic CO₂ concentration (Cc) is not sufficient under high-nitrogen (N) supply in rice plants. In this research, we studied how aquaporins- (AQPs) mediated Cc under different N-supply levels. A hydroponic experiment was conducted in a greenhouse with three different N levels (low N, 0.71 mM; intermediate N, 2.86 mM; and high N, 7.14 mM) in a rice cultivar (Oryza sativa cv. Shanyou 63) and with an ospip1;1 mutant (Oryza sativa cv. Nipponbare). The photosynthetic nitrogen-use efficiency (PNUE) decreased with increasing leaf-N content. Under high-N supply, the estimated Cc was significantly lower than the theoretical Cc and the specific Rubisco activity (carboxylation efficiency/Rubisco content, CE/Rubisco) decreased, because of a decrease of relative CO₂ diffusion conductance (total CO₂ diffusion conductance/leaf-N content, g_t /N) in mesophyll cells. Real Time Quantitative PCR (Q-RT-PCR) showed that most OsPIP1s and OsPIP2s expression were downregulated under the high-N supply. Furthermore, Cc and g_m decreased in the ospip1;1 mutant line compared with that of the wild-type plant. It was concluded that under high-N supply, the decreased PNUE was associated with non-sufficient Cc, mediated by AQP in mesophyll conductance.

Biological significance and topological basis of aquaporin-partnering protein-protein interactions

Aquaporins (AQPs) are intramolecular channels essential for transport of H2O, CO2, and other small substrates across membranes. Through this function, AQPs can modulate CO2 uptake and assimilation in plants and regulate water relations and many other physiological processes in all living organisms. To execute their physiological roles, AQPs may experience 3 types of hetero-molecular interaction, between AQPs and their kinases; between AQP isoforms; and between AQPs and other proteins that are neither AQPs nor kinases. Interacting with non-AQP non-kinase proteins may enable AQPs to extend their functions beyond substrate transport, and most fascinatingly, to serve as a gateway control for translocation of virulence effectors from pathogenic bacteria into the cytosol of eukaryotic cells. In this mini review, we will summarize the latter 2 types of interaction and discuss the physiological and/or pathological significance. We will also discuss a research angle to elucidate the structural basis of AQP-partnering protein interactions.