Review

Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology 5, 687-698 (September 2004) | doi:10.1038/nrm1469

From structure to disease: the evolving tale of aquaporin biology

Landon S. King1, David Kozono1 & Peter Agre1  About the authors

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Our understanding of the movement of water through cell membranes has been greatly advanced by the discovery of a family of water-specific, membrane-channel proteins — the aquaporins. These proteins are present in organisms at all levels of life, and their unique permeability characteristics and distribution in numerous tissues indicate diverse roles in the regulation of water homeostasis. The recognition of aquaporins has stimulated a reconsideration of membrane water permeability by investigators across a wide range of disciplines.

Author affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, and the Department of Biological Chemistry, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 5501 Hopkins Bayview Circle, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, USA.

Correspondence to: Landon S. King1 Email: lsking@jhmi.edu

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