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PMID: 2326282 Published · ppublish English Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

Glucose transporters serve as water channels.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America ·Vol. 87 ·No. 8 ·1990-04-00 ·Pages 3244-7

Fischbarg J, Kuang KY, Vera JC, Arant S, Silverstein SC, Loike J, Rosen OM

Abstract

Water traverses the plasma membranes of some eukaryotic cells faster than can be explained by the water permeability of their lipid bilayers. This has led to a search for a water channel. Our previous work identified glucose transporters as candidates for such a channel. We report here that Xenopus laevis oocytes injected with mRNA encoding the brain/Hep G2, adult skeletal muscle/adipocyte, or liver forms of the glucose transporter exhibit an osmotic water permeability of their plasma membranes larger than that of untreated oocytes. The osmotic water permeability component attributable to glucose transporters increased an average of 4.8-fold in the injected oocytes. These studies provide direct evidence that the facilitative, sodium-independent mammalian glucose transporters serve as membrane water channels.

MeSH Terms
Animals Body Water/metabolism Cell Line Cell Membrane/metabolism Cell Membrane Permeability Female Humans Kinetics Lipid Bilayers Microinjections Monosaccharide Transport Proteins/genetics,metabolism Oocytes/metabolism Phloretin/pharmacology RNA, Messenger/administration & dosage,genetics Receptor, Insulin/drug effects,genetics,metabolism Xenopus laevis
Chemicals
Lipid Bilayers Monosaccharide Transport Proteins RNA, Messenger Receptor, Insulin Phloretin
Authors & Affiliations
7 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Fischbarg J
Department of Physiology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032.
Kuang K Y
Vera J C
Arant S
Silverstein S C
Loike J
Rosen O M
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Article Info
Journal
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Abbr.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
ISSN
0027-8424
DOI
10.1073/pnas.87.8.3244
Published
1990-04-00
Pages
3244-7
Language
English
Region
United States
NLM ID
7505876
PMCID
PMC53872
Subset
IM
Grants
NIAID NIH HHS · AI20256 · United States
NIDDK NIH HHS · DK35158 · United States
NEI NIH HHS · EY06178 · United States
External Links
PubMed source DOI: 10.1073/pnas.87.8.3244 PMC Full Text View journal details
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