Anti-Aquaporin 6

Anti-Aquaporin 6

Western blotting of rat kidney membranes with Anti-AQP6 antibody:  1. Anti-AQP6 antibody (1:200). 2. Anti-AQP6 antibody,  preincubated with the control peptide antigen.

Staining of aquaporin 6 in kidney using Anti-Aquaporin 6 (#AQP-006). Selective subsets of cells were stained in   mouse (A) compared to rat (B). Diaminobenzidine color product is blue-black (arrows).   The fluorescent counterstain is DAPI (silver).

It has been long known that water must cross biological membranes by  means other than simple diffusion. However, it was not until recently, with the discovery of the Aquaporin 1 water channel that this question  was answered. The  importance of this discovery was underlined by the awarding, in 2003, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry to Peter Agre for the discovery of water channels. 



Today, eleven mammalian proteins that belong to the Aquaporin family have been identified. The proteins present a conserved structure of  six transmembrane domains with intracellular N and C-termini.

Aquaporin 6 (AQP6) appears to be exclusively expressed in the kidney,  particularly in intracellular vesicles in collecting duct intercalated cells.  Unlike the other aquaporins, AQP6 was found to allow permeation of anions  following activation with acidic pH or Hg²⁺ ions. Increased expression of  AQP6 was shown in models of chronic alkalosis and lithium-induced  nephrogenic diabetes insipidus.



Alomone Labs is pleased to offer a new antibody to Aquaporin 6. The antibody was raised  against the last 18 amino acids of the rat protein. The chosen epitope is 15 out of 18  residues identical to the mouse AQP6 protein.