Aquaporin-5 (AQP-5) is a
protein
Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residue (biochemistry), residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including Enzyme catalysis, catalysing metab ...
that in humans is encoded by the ''AQP5''
gene
In biology, the word gene has two meanings. The Mendelian gene is a basic unit of heredity. The molecular gene is a sequence of nucleotides in DNA that is transcribed to produce a functional RNA. There are two types of molecular genes: protei ...
.
Aquaporin-5 (AQP-5) is a water channel protein.
Aquaporin
Aquaporins, also called water channels, are channel proteins from a larger family of major intrinsic proteins that form pores in the membrane of biological cells, mainly facilitating transport of water between cells. The cell membranes of ...
s are a family of small integral membrane proteins related to the major intrinsic protein (MIP or AQP0). Aquaporin-5 plays a role in the generation of saliva, tears and pulmonary secretions.
AQP0, AQP2, AQP5, and AQP6 are closely related and all map to 12q13.
AQP-5 features a homotetrameric structure embedded in the cell membrane with the center of each monomer acting as a water pore.
Each monomer structure is a transmembrane protein which have an asparagine–proline–alanine (NPA) hydrophobic residue embedded in the membrane of the cell. The NPA residue plays a role in water and solute permeability across the membrane of the cell.
References
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{{membrane-protein-stub