FRET imaging in living maize cells reveals that plasma membrane aquaporins interact to regulate their subcellular localization.

ABSTRACT: Zea mays plasma membrane intrinsic proteins (ZmPIPs) fall into two groups, ZmPIP1s and ZmPIP2s, that exhibit different water channel activities when expressed in Xenopus oocytes. ZmPIP1s are inactive, whereas ZmPIP2s induce a marked increase in the membrane osmotic water permeability coefficient, P(f). We previously showed that, in Xenopus oocytes, ZmPIP1;2 and ZmPIP2;1 interact to increase the cell P(f). Here, we report the localization and interaction of ZmPIP1s and ZmPIP2s in living maize cells. ZmPIPs were fused to monomeric yellow fluorescent protein and/or monomeric cyan fluorescent protein and expressed transiently in maize mesophyll protoplasts. When expressed alone, ZmPIP1 fusion proteins were retained in the endoplasmic reticulum, whereas ZmPIP2s were found in the plasma membrane

SUBMITTER: Zelazny E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1941474 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature