Description
Aquaporin 3 is the protein product of the human AQP3 gene. It is found in the basolateral cell membrane of principal collecting duct cells and provides a pathway for water to exit these cells. Aquaporin 3 is also permeable to glycerol, ammonia, urea, and hydrogen peroxide. It is expressed in various tissues including the skin, respiratory tract, and kidneys as well as various types of cancers. In the kidney, aquaproin 3 is unresponsive to vasopressin (a.k.a. Antidiuretic Hormone), unlike Aquaporin 2. This protein is also a determinant for the GIL blood group system. Suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA) (a HDAC inhibitor) increases expression of aquaporin-3 in normal skin cells (keratinocytes)