Aquaporin-5: from structure to function and dysfunction in cancer

Aquaporins, a highly conserved group of membrane proteins, are involved in the bidirectional transfer of water and small solutes across cell membranes taking part in many biological functions all over the human body. In view of the wide range of cancer malignancies in which aquaporin-5 (AQP5) has be...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Cellular and molecular life sciences : CMLS 2016-04, Vol.73 (8), p.1623-1640
Main Authors: Direito, Inês, Madeira, Ana, Brito, Maria Alexandra, Soveral, Graça
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aquaporin 5 - metabolism
Biochemistry
Biological Transport - physiology
Biomarkers
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Biomedicine
Cancer
Carcinogenesis
Cell Biology
Cell Membrane - metabolism
Cell Movement - physiology
Cell Proliferation - physiology
Cell Survival - physiology
Humans
Life Sciences
Membrane Proteins - metabolism
Membranes
Neoplasms - pathology
Protein expression
Protein Isoforms - metabolism
Review
Signal transduction
Solutes
Water - metabolism
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Aquaporins, a highly conserved group of membrane proteins, are involved in the bidirectional transfer of water and small solutes across cell membranes taking part in many biological functions all over the human body. In view of the wide range of cancer malignancies in which aquaporin-5 (AQP5) has been detected, an increasing interest in its implication in carcinogenesis has emerged. Recent publications suggest that this isoform may enhance cancer cell proliferation, migration and survival in a variety of malignancies, with strong evidences pointing to AQP5 as a promising drug target and as a novel biomarker for cancer aggressiveness with high translational potential for therapeutics and diagnostics. This review addresses the structural and functional features of AQP5, detailing its tissue distribution and functions in human body, its expression pattern in a variety of tumors, and highlighting the underlying mechanisms involved in carcinogenesis. Finally, the actual progress of AQP5 research, implications in cancer biology and potential for cancer detection and prognosis are discussed.
ISSN:1420-682X
1420-9071
DOI:10.1007/s00018-016-2142-0