Abstract
Aquaporins (AQPs) are integral membrane proteins responsible for water transport across cellular membranes in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. A subfamily of AQPs, known as aquaglyceroporins (AQGPs), facilitate the transport of small solutes such as glycerol, water, and other solutes across cellular membranes. These proteins are involved in a variety of physiological processes, such as organogenesis, wound healing, and hydration. Although AQPs have been studied extensively in different species, their conservation patterns, phylogenetic relationships, and evolution in mammals remain unexplored. In the present study, 119 AQGP coding sequences from 31 mammalian species were analysed to identify conserved residues, gene organisation, and most importantly, the nature of AQGP gene selection. Repertoire analysis revealed the absence of AQP7, 9, and 10 genes in certain species of Primates, Rodentia, and Diprotodontia, although not all three genes were absent in a single species. Two Asparagine-Proline-Alanine (NPA) motifs located at the N- and C-terminal ends, aspartic acid (D) residues, and the ar/R region were conserved in AQP3, 9, and 10. Six exons encoding the functional MIP domain of AQGP genes were found to be conserved across mammalian species. Evolutionary analysis indicated signatures of positive selection in AQP7, 9, and 10 amongst different mammalian lineages. Furthermore, substitutions of certain amino acids located close to critical residues may alter AQGP functionality, which is crucial for substrate selectivity, pore formation, and transport efficiency required for the maintenance of homeostasis in different mammalian species.
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All data generated and analysed during this study are included in this article and its supplementary files.
Abbreviations
- MIP:
-
Membrane intrinsic protein
- AQPs:
-
Aquaporins
- AQGPs:
-
Aquaglyceroporins
- NPA motifs:
-
Asparagine-Proline-Alanine motifs
- ar/R:
-
Aromatic arginine
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This work was supported by the ICAR-National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) project.
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SR contributed to conceptualization, investigation, writing of the original draft, data curation, formal analysis, and visualisation. DG contributed to conceptualization, validation, and resources. AV contributed to formal analysis, visualisation, and writing, reviewing, & editing of the manuscript. CR contributed to resources. MB contributed to resources. MR contributed to investigation and methodology. AL contributed to supervision and funding acquisition. SD contributed to supervision, funding acquisition, conceptualization, resources, and writing, reviewing, & editing of the manuscript.
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Rajput, S., Gautam, D., Vats, A. et al. Adaptive Selection in the Evolution of Aquaglyceroporins in Mammals. J Mol Evol 91, 441–457 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00239-023-10112-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00239-023-10112-5