Lens fiber major intrinsic protein also known as aquaporin-0 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 ''MIP''
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 ...
.
Function
Major intrinsic protein is a member of the water-transporting
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 as well as the original member of the MIP family of channel proteins. The function of the fiber cell membrane protein encoded by this gene is undetermined, yet this protein is speculated to play a role in intracellular communication. The MIP protein is expressed in the ocular lens and is required for correct lens function. This gene has been mapped among aquaporins
AQP2,
AQP5, and
AQP6, in a potential gene cluster at 12q13.
References
Further reading
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