Aquaporin-2 downregulation in kidney medulla of aging rats is posttranscriptional and is abolished by water deprivation.

Aging kidney is associated in humans and rodents with polyuria and reduced urine concentrating ability. In senescent female WAG/Rij rats, this defect is independent of arginine-vasopressin (AVP)/V(2) receptor/cAMP pathway. It has been attributed to underexpression and mistargeting of aquaporin-2 (AQP2) water channel in the inner medullary collecting duct (IMCD). We showed previously that dDAVP administration could partially correct this defect. Since AQP2 can also be regulated by AVP-independent pathways in water deprivation (WD), we investigated AQP2 and phosphorylated AQP2 (p-AQP2) regulation in thirsted adult (10 mo old) and senescent (30 mo old) female WAG/Rij rats. Following 2-day WD, urine flow rate decreased and urine osmolality increased in both groups. However, in agreement with significantly lower cortico-papillary osmotic gradient with aging, urine osmolality remained lower in senescent animals. WD induced sixfold increase of plasma AVP in all animals which, interestingly, did not result in higher papillary cAMP level. Following WD, AQP2 and p-AQP2 expression increased hugely in 10- and 30-mo-old rats and their mistargeting in old animals was corrected. Moreover, the age-related difference in AQP2 regulation was abolished after WD. To further investigate the mechanism of AQP2 underexpression with aging, AQP2 mRNA was quantified by real-time RT-PCR. In the outer medulla, preservation of AQP2 protein expression was achieved through increased AQP2 mRNA level in senescent rats. In the IMCD, no change in AQP2 mRNA was detected with aging but AQP2 protein expression was markedly lower in 30-mo-old animals. In conclusion, there is a posttranscriptional downregulation of AQP2 with aging, which is abolished by WD.

Blastulae aggregates: new intermediate structures in the micelle-to-vesicle transition of catanionic systems.

A new type of intermediate structure was found in the salt-induced micelle-to-vesicle transition in a catanionic system composed of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (DTAB) in aqueous solution with an excess of anionic surfactant. The appearance of symmetrically shaped hollow structures, which we named blastulae vesicles, is presented.

Specific alkali cation effects in the transition from micelles to vesicles through salt addition.

The transition of ionic micelles to vesicles with added salts is explored in this paper. The catanionic surfactant solution was comprised of sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) and dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (DTAB) with an excess of SDS. The micellar size increased with concentration for all salts. No anion specificity was found, probably because of the excess of SDS. However, when the cation of the added salt was varied, large differences were observed in the hydrodynamic radii of the aggregates. A classification of the cations according to their ability to increase the measured hydrodynamic radii follows a Hofmeister series. The change in aggregate size can be explained by modified counterion binding and dehydration of the surfactant headgroups.

Expression and function of aquaporins in human skin: Is aquaporin-3 just a glycerol transporter?

The aquaporins (AQPs) are a family of transmembrane proteins forming water channels. In mammals, water transport through AQPs is important in kidney and other tissues involved in water transport. Some AQPs (aquaglyceroporins) also exhibit glycerol and urea permeability. Skin is the limiting tissue of the body and within skin, the stratum corneum (SC) of the epidermis is the limiting barrier to water loss by evaporation. The aquaglyceroporin AQP3 is abundantly expressed in keratinocytes of mammalian skin epidermis. Mice lacking AQP3 have dry skin and reduced SC hydration. Interestingly, however, results suggested that impaired glycerol, rather than water transport was responsible for this phenotype. In the present work, we examined the overall expression of AQPs in cells from human skin and we reviewed data on the functional role of AQPs in skin, particularly in the epidermis. By RT-PCR on primary cell cultures, we found that up to 6 different AQPs (AQP1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 10) may be selectively expressed in various cells from human skin. AQP1, 5 are strictly water channels. But in keratinocytes, the major cell type of the epidermis, only the aquaglyceroporins AQP3, 10 were found. To understand the role of aquaglyceroporins in skin, we examined the relevance to human skin of the conclusion, from studies on mice, that skin AQP3 is only important for glycerol transport. In particular, we find a correlation between the absence of AQP3 and intercellular edema in the epidermis in two different experimental models: eczema and hyperplastic epidermis. In conclusion, we suggest that in addition to glycerol, AQP3 may be important for water transport and hydration in human skin epidermis.

Aquaporin-1 plays an essential role in water permeability and ultrafiltration during peritoneal dialysis.

The water channel aquaporin-1 (AQP1) is considered as the molecular counterpart of the ultrasmall pore predicted by the three-pore model of fluid transport across the peritoneal membrane. However, the definitive proof of the implication of AQP1 in solute-free water transport, sodium sieving, and ultrafiltration (UF) during peritoneal dialysis (PD) is lacking, and the effects of its deletion on the structure of the membrane are unknown. Using real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and immunogold electron microscopy, we showed that AQP1 is the most abundant member of the AQP gene family expressed in the mouse peritoneum, and the only one located in the capillary endothelium. Transport studies during a 2-h dwell demonstrated that, in comparison with Aqp1(+/+) littermates, Aqp1(-/-) mice had no sodium sieving; an approximately 70% decrease in the initial, solute-free UF; and an approximately 50% decrease in cumulative UF. These modifications occurred despite unchanged osmotic gradient and transport of small solutes in the Aqp1(-/-) mice. Heterozygous Aqp1(+/-) mice showed intermediate values in sodium sieving and initial UF, whereas cumulative UF was similar to Aqp1(+/+) mice. The deletion of AQP1 had no effect on the expression of other AQPs and on the density, structure, or diameter of peritoneal capillaries. These data provide direct evidence for the role of AQP1 during PD. They validate essential predictions of the three-pore model: (i) the ultrasmall pores account for the sodium sieving, and (ii) they mediate 50% of UF during a hypertonic dwell.

Aging affects choroidal proteins involved in CSF production in Sprague-Dawley rats.

Aging is currently associated with progressive declines of cerebral functions. From these, a decreased resistance to dehydration suggested alteration in choroidal control of brain homeostasis and reduced cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) production in old subjects. In the present study, choroid plexuses of 20-month old Sprague-Dawley rats were compared with those of 3- and 10-month old rats. Using ultrastructure analysis and immunodetection of ezrin, a protein associating cytoskeleton to membranes, we showed that progressive loss of microvilli and strong decrease in apical ezrin are evident in 20-month old rats. Using immunolabeling and confocal microscopy, we found reduction in expression of two choroidal proteins, carbonic anhydrase II and aquaporin 1, involved in CSF secretion. In addition, we confirmed previous studies indicating that choroidal Na,K-ATPase decreased with age. In situ hybridization analyses showed that mRNA levels for Na,K-ATPase and aquaporin 1 were significantly lowered in choroid plexus of old rats. These findings are consistent with a reduced secretory activity in choroid plexus and suggest that massive disorders could affect choroidal CSF production in aged rats.

Food restriction prevents age-related polyuria by vasopressin-dependent recruitment of aquaporin-2.

The mechanisms underlying the prevention of age-related polyuria by chronic food restriction were investigated in female WAG/Rij rats. The decreased osmolality of renal papilla observed in senescent rats was not corrected by food restriction. A reduced urea content in the inner medulla of senescent rats, fed ad libitum or food-restricted, was suggested by the marked decrease in expression of UT-A1 and UT-B1 urea transporters. Aquaporin-2 (AQP2) downregulation in the inner medulla of senescent rats was partially prevented by food restriction. Both AQP2 and the phosphorylated form of AQP2 (p-AQP2), the presence of which was diffuse within the cytoplasm of collecting duct principal cells in normally fed senescent rats, were preferentially targeted at the apical region of the cells in food-restricted senescent animals. Plasma vasopressin (AVP) was similar in 10- and 30-mo-old rats fed ad libitum, but was doubled in food-restricted 30-mo-old rats. This study indicates that 1) kidney aging is associated with a marked decrease in AQP2, UT-A1, and UT-B1 expression in the inner medulla and a reduced papillary osmolality; and 2) the prevention of age-related polyuria by chronic food restriction occurs through an improved recruitment of AQP2 and p-AQP2 to the apical membrane in inner medulla principal cells, permitted by increased plasma AVP concentration.

Histamine treatment induces rearrangements of orthogonal arrays of particles (OAPs) in human AQP4-expressing gastric cells.

To test the involvement of the water channel aquaporin (AQP)-4 in gastric acid physiology, the human gastric cell line (HGT)-1 was stably transfected with rat AQP4. AQP4 was immunolocalized to the basolateral membrane of transfected HGT-1 cells, like in native parietal cells. Expression of AQP4 in transfected cells increased the osmotic water permeability coefficient (Pf) from 2.02 +/- 0.3 x 10-4 to 16.37 +/- 0.5 x 10-4 cm/s at 20 degrees C. Freeze-fracture EM showed distinct orthogonal arrays of particles (OAPs), the morphological signature of AQP4, on the plasma membrane of AQP4-expressing cells. Quantitative morphometry showed that the density of OAPs was 2.5 +/- 0.3% under basal condition and decreased by 50% to 1.2 +/- 0.3% after 20 min of histamine stimulation, mainly due to a significant decrease of the OAPs number. Concomitantly, Pf decreased by approximately 35% in 20-min histamine-stimulated cells. Both Pf and OAPs density were not modified after 10 min of histamine exposure, time at which the maximal hormonal response is observed. Cell surface biotinylation experiments confirmed that AQP4 is internalized after 20 min of histamine exposure, which may account for the downregulation of water transport. This is the first evidence for short term rearrangement of OAPs in an established AQP4-expressing cell line.

Presence of aquaporin-4 and muscarinic receptors in astrocytes and ependymal cells in rat brain: a clue to a common function?

Using combined double immunofluorescence and laser confocal microscopy, we studied the common cellular localization of cholinergic muscarinic receptors (mAChRs) and aquaporin-4 water channels (AQP4) in the cortex, the corpus callosum and in ependymal cells of the rat brain. In the cortex, AQP4 staining was restricted to the perivascular end-feet of astrocytes. It was more widely distributed on the astrocytes of the corpus callosum. On astrocytes, mAChRs were often present in regions immunoreactive to AQP4. Ependymal cells bordering the third ventricle were also stained by both antibodies. The double staining of mAChRs with AQP4 on two different cell-types might indicate that further interactions exist which may be important in the regulation of water and electrolyte movements in the brain.

Downregulation of aquaporin-2 and -3 in aging kidney is independent of V(2) vasopressin receptor.

The mechanisms underlying age-related polyuria were investigated in 10- and 30-mo-old female WAG/Rij rats. Urinary volume and osmolality were 3.9 +/- 0.3 ml/24 h and 2,511 +/- 54 mosmol/kgH(2)O in adult rats and 12.8 +/- 0.8 ml/24 h and 1,042 +/- 44 mosmol/kgH(2)O in senescent animals. Vasopressin V(2) receptor mRNA did not significantly differ between 10 and 30 mo, and [(3)H]vasopressin binding sites in membrane papilla were reduced by 30%. The cAMP content of the papilla was unchanged with age, whereas papillary osmolality was significantly lowered in senescent animals. The expression of aquaporin-1 (AQP1) and -4 was mostly unaltered from 10 to 30 mo. In contrast, aquaporin-2 (AQP2) and -3 (AQP3) expression was downregulated by 80 and 50%, respectively, and AQP2 was markedly redistributed into the intracellular compartment, in inner medulla of senescent animals, but not in renal cortex. These results indicate that age-related polyuria is associated with a downregulation of AQP2 and AQP3 expression in the medullary collecting duct, which is independent of vasopressin-mediated cAMP accumulation.

Cellular localization of type 5 and type 6 ACs in collecting duct and regulation of cAMP synthesis.

The cellular distribution of Ca(2+)-inhibitable adenylyl cyclase (AC) type 5 and type 6 mRNAs in rat outer medullary collecting duct (OMCD) was performed by in situ hybridization. Kidney sections were also stained with specific antibodies against either collecting duct intercalated cells or principal cells. The localization of type 5 AC in H(+)-ATPase-, but not aquaporin-3-, positive cells demonstrated that type 5 AC mRNA is expressed only in intercalated cells. In contrast, type 6 AC mRNA was observed in both intercalated and principal cells. In microdissected OMCDs, the simultaneous superfusion of carbachol and PGE(2) elicited an additive increase in the intracellular Ca(2+) concentration, suggesting that the Ca(2+)-dependent regulation of these agents occurs in different cell types. Glucagon-dependent cAMP synthesis was inhibited by both a pertussis toxin-sensitive PGE(2) pathway (63.7 +/- 4.6% inhibition, n = 5) and a Ca(2+)-dependent carbachol pathway (48.6 +/- 3.3%, n = 5). The simultaneous addition of both agents induced a cumulative inhibition of glucagon-dependent cAMP synthesis (78.2 +/- 3.3%, n = 5). The results demonstrate a distinct cellular localization of type 5 and type 6 AC mRNAs in OMCD and the functional expression of these Ca(2+)-inhibitable enzymes in intercalated cells.

Skeletal muscle function and water permeability in aquaporin-4 deficient mice.

It has been proposed that aquaporin-4 (AQP4), a water channel expressed at the plasmalemma of skeletal muscle cells, is important in normal muscle physiology and in the pathophysiology of Duchenne's muscular dystrophy. To test this hypothesis, muscle water permeability and function were compared in wild-type and AQP4 knockout mice. Immunofluorescence and freeze-fracture electron microscopy showed AQP4 protein expression in plasmalemma of fast-twitch skeletal muscle fibers of wild-type mice. Osmotic water permeability was measured in microdissected muscle fibers from the extensor digitorum longus (EDL) and fractionated membrane vesicles from EDL homogenates. With the use of spatial-filtering microscopy to measure osmotically induced volume changes in EDL fibers, half times (t(1/2)) for osmotic equilibration (7.5-8.5 s) were not affected by AQP4 deletion. Stopped-flow light-scattering measurements of osmotically induced volume changes in plasmalemma vesicles also showed no significant differences in water permeability. Similar water permeability, yet approximately 90% decreased AQP4 protein expression was found in EDL from mdx mice that lack dystrophin. Skeletal muscle function was measured by force generation in isolated EDL, treadmill performance time, and in vivo muscle swelling in response to water intoxication. No differences were found in EDL force generation after electrical stimulation [42 +/- 2 (wild-type) vs. 41 +/- 2 (knockout) g/s], treadmill performance time (22 vs. 26 min; 29 m/min, 13 degrees incline), or muscle swelling (2.8 vs. 2.9% increased water content at 90 min after intraperitoneal water infusion). Together these results provide evidence against a significant role of AQP4 in skeletal muscle physiology in mice.

cAMP regulated membrane diffusion of a green fluorescent protein-aquaporin 2 chimera.

To study the membrane mobility of aquaporin water channels, clones of stably transfected LLC-PK1 cells were isolated with plasma membrane expression of GFP-AQP1 and GFP-AQP2, in which the green fluorescent protein (GFP) was fused upstream and in-frame to each aquaporin (AQP). The GFP fusion did not affect AQP tetrameric association or water transport function. GFP-AQP lateral mobility was measured by irreversibly bleaching a spot (diameter 0.8 microm) on the membrane with an Argon laser beam (488 nm) and following the fluorescence recovery into the bleached area resulting from GFP translational diffusion. In cells expressing GFP-AQP1, fluorescence recovered to >96% of its initial level with t(1/2) of 38 +/- 2 s (23 degrees C) and 21 +/- 1 s (37 degrees C), giving diffusion coefficients (D) of 5.3 and 9.3 x 10(-11) cm(2)/s. GFP-AQP1 diffusion was abolished by paraformaldehyde fixation, slowed >50-fold by the cholesterol-binding agent filipin, but not affected by cAMP agonists. In cells expressing GFP-AQP2, fluorescence recovered to >98% with D of 5.7 and 9.0 x 10(-11) cm(2)/s at 23 degrees C and 37 degrees C. In contrast to results for GFP-AQP1, the cAMP agonist forskolin slowed GFP-AQP2 mobility by up to tenfold. The cAMP slowing was blocked by actin filament disruption with cytochalasin D, by K(+)-depletion in combination with hypotonic shock, and by mutation of the protein kinase A phosphorylation consensus site (S256A) at the AQP2 C-terminus. These results indicate unregulated diffusion of AQP1 in membranes, but regulated AQP2 diffusion that was dependent on phosphorylation at serine 256, and an intact actin cytoskeleton and clathrin coated pit. The cAMP-induced immobilization of phosphorylated AQP2 provides evidence for AQP2-protein interactions that may be important for retention of AQP2 in specialized membrane domains for efficient membrane recycling.

Regulation of aquaporin-1 and nitric oxide synthase isoforms in a rat model of acute peritonitis.

The loss of ultrafiltration (UF) that accompanies acute peritonitis is a common problem in peritoneal dialysis (PD). It has been suggested that changes in nitric oxide (NO)-mediated vascular tone and permeability might be involved in the loss of UF, whereas channel-mediated water permeability should not be affected. This study used a model of acute peritonitis in rats to characterize changes in PD parameters, in correlation with: (1) expression studies of water channel aquaporin-1 and NO synthase (NOS) isoforms and (2) enzymatic assays for NOS in the peritoneum. Compared with controls, rats with peritonitis had a higher removal of plasma urea, a faster glucose absorption, and a loss of UF. Additional changes, including high protein loss, elevated leukocyte counts in dialysate, positive bacterial cultures, edema, and mononuclear infiltrates, were similar to those observed in PD patients with acute peritonitis. Acute peritonitis in rats induced a major increase in total NOS activity, which was inversely correlated with free-water permeability. The increased NOS activity was mediated by both inducible (Ca2+-independent) and endothelial (Ca2+-dependent) NOS isoforms and was reflected by increased peritoneal staining for nitrotyrosine. In contrast, aquaporin-1 expression was unchanged in rats with peritonitis. These findings cast light on the pathophysiology of permeability changes and loss of UF that characterize acute peritonitis. In particular, these data suggest that a local production of NO, mediated by different NOS isoforms, might play a key role in these changes.

[Kidney aging: cellular mechanisms of problems of hydration equilibrium]. / Vieillissement rénal: mécanismes cellulaires des troubles de l'équilibre hydrique.

The ability to control body hydration is frequently impaired with age. This mainly results from changes in thirst and from loss of renal concentrating ability. The cellular mechanisms responsible for this functional renal failure have been extensively studied in different experimental models. Although the loss of nephrons sometimes observed with age impairs the ability of the kidney to retain water, a similar defect was reported in animals free of glomerulosclerosis, indicating that the reduction in the number of nephrons was not the only cause. Because age-related polyuria has also been demonstrated in rats with unchanged secretion of vasopressin, renal changes in water reabsorption was hypothesized. Such alterations have been searched along the whole length of the nephron. Neither the single nephron filtration rate nor proximal or early distal flow rates were modified in senescent animals where water reabsorption in the collecting duct was reduced. The affinity and the density of the V2 receptors were mainly constant in most experimental models of ageing. In contrast, intracellular cAMP accumulation following vasopressin stimulation was reduced in the oldest animals. The expression of aquaporins in luminal and basolateral membranes of the collecting duct epithelial cells was altered. The amount of basolateral aquaporin 3 and 4 was respectively decreased by 50 per cent and unchanged in renal papilla. In addition, the expression of aquaporin 2, which is rate limiting for the osmotic permeability of the collecting duct, was reduced by 50 per cent in the outer medulla and by 80 per cent in the inner medulla of the senescent animals. This drop in aquaporin 2 expression in the distal part of the nephron could be the main cause for the fall in concentrating ability of the kidney and the age-related impaired control of hydration.

Protein encapsulation within polyethylene glycol-coated nanospheres. I. Physicochemical characterization.

The development of injectable nanoparticulate "stealth" carriers for protein delivery is a major challenge. We have shown the possibility of entrapping human serum albumin (HSA) in polyethylene glycol (PEG)-coated monodisperse biodegradable nanospheres with a mean diameter of about 200 nm, prepared from amphiphilic diblock PEG-polylactic acid (PLA) copolymers, with loadings up to 9% (w/w). Microscopic techniques and surface analysis studies enabled us to prove that the protein was well entrapped and not adsorbed onto the particle surface. Zeta potential and water uptake studies corroborated that part of the PEG chains are located in the nanosphere matrix. Water uptake in the nanospheres was related to their chemical composition, i.e., the respective wt% of PEG and PLA in the matrix, and not on their fabrication procedure. The hydrophilic PEG blocks absorbed up to 130% (w/w) water, whereas PLA absorbed only about 10% (w/w). However, the rate of swelling at the beginning of the process was related to the structure of the matrix, more particularly to the manner in which PEG was disposed at the surface. Furthermore, it was shown that the PEG "brush" at the nanosphere surface drastically reduces HSA adsorption on the PEG-PLA nanospheres compared to the PLA ones.

Expression of aquaporin-4 in fast-twitch fibers of mammalian skeletal muscle.

In this study we analyzed the expression of aquaporin-4 (AQP4) in mammalian skeletal muscle. Immunohistochemical experiments revealed that affinity-purified AQP4 antibodies stained selectively the sarcolemma of fast-twitch fibers. By immunogold electron microscopy, little or no intracellular labeling was detected. Western blot analysis showed the presence of two immunopositive bands with apparent molecular masses of 30 and 32 kD specifically present in membrane fraction of a fast-twitch rat skeletal muscle (extensor digitorum longus, EDL) and not revealed in a slow-twitch muscle (soleus). PCR Southern blot experiments resulted in a selective amplification in EDL of a 960-bp cDNA fragment encoding for the full-length rat form of AQP4. Functional experiments carried out on isolated skeletal muscle bundle fibers demonstrated that the osmotic response is faster in EDL than in soleus fibers isolated from the same rat. These results provide for the first time evidence for the expression of an aquaporin in skeletal muscle correlated to a specific fiber-type metabolism. Furthermore, we have analyzed AQP4 expression in skeletal muscle of mdx mice in which a decreased density of orthogonal arrays of particles, a typical morphological feature of AQP4, has been reported. Immunofluorescence experiments showed a marked reduction of AQP4 expression suggesting a critical role in the membrane alteration of Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Co-expression of a Ca2+-inhibitable adenylyl cyclase and of a Ca2+-sensing receptor in the cortical thick ascending limb cell of the rat kidney. Inhibition of hormone-dependent cAMP accumulation by extracellular Ca2+.

The Ca2+-sensing receptor protein and the Ca2+-inhibitable type 6 adenylyl cyclase mRNA are present in a defined segment of the rat renal tubule leading to the hypothesis of their possible functional co-expression in a same cell and thus to a possible inhibition of cAMP content by extracellular Ca2+. By using microdissected segments, we compared the properties of regulation of extracellular Ca2+-mediated activation of Ca2+ receptor to those elicited by prostaglandin E2 and angiotensin II. The three agents inhibited a common pool of hormone-stimulated cAMP content by different mechanisms as follows. (i) Extracellular Ca2+, coupled to phospholipase C activation via a pertussis toxin-insensitive G protein, induced a dose-dependent inhibition of cAMP content (1.25 mM Ca2+ eliciting 50% inhibition) resulting from both stimulation of cAMP hydrolysis and inhibition of cAMP synthesis; this latter effect was mediated by capacitive Ca2+ influx as well as release of intracellular Ca2+. (ii) Angiotensin II, coupled to the same transduction pathway, also decreased cAMP content; however, its inhibitory effect on cAMP was mainly accounted for by an increase of cAMP hydrolysis, although angiotensin II and extracellular Ca2+ can induce comparable release of intracellular Ca2+. (iii) Prostaglandin E2, coupled to pertussis toxin-sensitive G protein, inhibited the same pool of adenylyl cyclase units as extracellular Ca2+ but by a different mechanism. The functional properties of the adenylyl cyclase were similar to those described for type 6. The results establish that the co-expression of a Ca2+-inhibitable adenylyl cyclase and of a Ca2+-sensing receptor in a same cell allows an inhibition of cAMP accumulation by physiological concentrations of extracellular Ca2+.

Evidence for the presence of aquaporin-3 in human red blood cells.

A facilitated diffusion for glycerol is present in human erythrocytes. Glycerol transporters identified to date belong to the Major Intrinsic Protein (MIP) family of integral membrane proteins, and one of them, aquaporin-3 (AQP3), has been characterized in mammals. Using an antibody raised against a peptide corresponding to the rat AQP3 carboxyl terminus, we examined the presence of AQP3 in normal and Colton-null (aquaporin-1 (AQP1)-deficient) human erythrocytes. Three immunoreactive bands were detected on immunoblots of both normal and Colton-null red cells, very similar to the bands revealed in rat kidney, a material in which AQP3 has been extensively studied. By immunofluorescence, anti-AQP3 antibodies stained the plasma membranes of both normal and Colton-null erythrocytes. Glycerol transport was measured on intact erythrocytes by stopped-flow light scattering and on one-step pink ghosts by a rapid filtration technique. Glycerol permeability values, similar in both cell types, suggest that AQP1 does not represent the major path for glycerol movement across red blood cell membranes. Furthermore, pharmacological studies showed that Colton-null red cells remain sensitive to water and glycerol flux inhibitors, supporting the idea that another proteinaceous path, probably AQP3, mediates most of the glycerol movements across red cell membranes and represents part of the residual water transport activity found in AQP1-deficient red cells.