Aquaporins are channel proteins that facilitate the diffusion of water and small uncharged solutes across cellular membranes. Plant aquaporins form a large family of highly divergent proteins that are involved in many different physiological processes. This book will summarize the recent advances regarding plant aquaporins, their phylogeny, structure, substrate specificity, mechanisms of regulation and roles in various important physiological processes related to the control of water flow and small solute distribution at the cell, tissue and plant level in an ever-changing environment.

Endocytosis is a fundamental cellular process by means of which cells internalize extracellular and plasma membrane cargos for recycling or degradation. It is important for the establishment and maintenance of cell polarity, subcellular signaling and uptake of nutrients into specialized cells, but also for plant cell interactions with pathogenic and symbiotic microbes. Endocytosis starts by vesicle formation at the plasma membrane and progresses through early and late endosomal compartments. In these endosomes cargo is sorted and it is either recycled back to the plasma membrane, or degraded in the lytic vacuole. This book presents an overview of our current knowledge of endocytosis in plants with a main focus on the key molecules undergoing and regulating endocytosis. It also provides up to date methodological approaches as well as principles of protein, structural lipid, sugar and microbe internalization in plant cells. The individual chapters describe clathrin-mediated and fluid-phase endocytosis, as well as flotillin-mediated endocytosis and internalization of microbes. The book was written for a broad spectrum of readers including students, teachers and researchers.

A guide to the chemical agents that protect plants from various environmental stressors Protective Chemical Agents in the Amelioration of Plant Abiotic Stress offers a guide to the diverse chemical agents that have the potential to mitigate different forms of abiotic stresses in plants. Edited by two experts on the topic, the book explores the role of novel chemicals and shows how using such unique chemical agents can tackle the oxidative damages caused by environmental stresses. Exogenous application of different chemical agents or chemical priming of seeds presents opportunities for crop stress management. The use of chemical compounds as protective agents has been found to improve plant tolerance significantly in various crop and non-crop species against a range of different individually applied abiotic stresses by regulating the endogenous levels of the protective agents within plants. This important book: Explores the efficacy of various chemical agents to eliminate abiotic stress Offers a groundbreaking look at the topic and reviews the most recent advances in the field Includes information from noted authorities on the subject Promises to benefit agriculture under stress conditions at the ground level Written for researchers, academicians, and scientists, Protective Chemical Agents in the Amelioration of Plant Abiotic Stress details the wide range of protective chemical agents, their applications, and their intricate biochemical and molecular mechanism of action within the plant systems during adverse situations.

Vascular Transport in Plants provides an up-to-date synthesis of new research on the biology of long distance transport processes in plants. It is a valuable resource and reference for researchers and graduate level students in physiology, molecular biology, physiology, ecology, ecological physiology, development, and all applied disciplines related to agriculture, horticulture, forestry and biotechnology. The book considers long-distance transport from the perspective of molecular level processes to whole plant function, allowing readers to integrate information relating to vascular transport across multiple scales. The book is unique in presenting xylem and phloem transport processes in plants together in a comparative style that emphasizes the important interactions between these two parallel transport systems. - Includes 105 exceptional figures - Discusses xylem and phloem transport in a single volume, highlighting their interactions - Syntheses of structure, function and biology of vascular transport by leading authorities - Poses unsolved questions and stimulates future research - Provides a new conceptual framework for vascular function in plants

The aquaporin field has matured at an exceptionally fast pace and we are at the verge to develop serious strategies to therapeutically modulate aquaporin function directly or via regulatory networks. Key prerequisites are available today: i. a considerable (and growing) number of aquaporin crystal structures for the rational design of inhibitory molecules, ii. elaborate molecular dynamics simulation techniques for theoretical analyses of selectivity mechanisms and docking experiments, iii. comprehensive data on aquaporin immunohistochemistry, iv. aquaporin knockout animals for physiological studies, and v. assay systems for compound library screenings. The structure of this volume on aquaporins follows the points laid out above and thus covers the developments from basic research to potential pharmacological use. Situated between pharmacology textbooks and recent scientific papers this book provides a timely overview for readers from the fundamental as well as the applied disciplines.

This book provides a state-of-the-art report on our current understanding of aquaporins and the future direction of the field. Aquaporins (AQPs) are a group of water-channel proteins that are specifically permeable to water and other small molecules, such as glycerol and urea. To date thirteen water-channel proteins (AQP0 – AQP12) have been cloned and the mechanisms and physiological functions of water transport across biological membranes have long been the subject of interest. Recent advances in the molecular biology and physiology of water transport have yielded new insights into how and why water moves across cell membranes, and studies on aquaporin knockout mouse models suggest that aquaporins are involved in the development of some diseases and they may be useful targets of research into selective-inhibitor drugs. By focusing on the advances made over the last 20 years in the biophysics, genetics, protein structure, molecular biology, physiology, pathophysiology and pharmacology of aquaporins in mammalian cell membranes, this book provides novel insights into further mechanisms and the physiological significance of water and some small molecule transport in mammals in order to stimulate further research in new directions.

Since the discovery of Aquaporin-1 (AQP1) as a water channel, many studies have revealed the importance of aquaporins in mammalian physiology and pathophysiology as well as plant and microbial biology. The studies have also shown aquaporins as potential drug targets and targets for improving crop properties. Written by an international group of contributors at the forefront of the field, Aquaporins in Health and Disease: New Molecular Targets for Drug Discovery presents the latest research advances in aquaporins and other major intrinsic protein (MIP) channels. The first section of the book describes the general concepts of aquaporin channel function, genomic research, structure-function analysis of aquaporins and glycerol facilitators, and regulation by gating and trafficking, including yeast aquaporin regulation and function. The second section discusses the physiological and pathophysiological roles of aquaporins in humans and microbes. The final section covers the development of inhibitors of aquaporin function. The book's epilogue offers future perspectives and directions, mainly in the area of aquaporin-based diagnostics and therapeutics. Stimulating future research on this important protein family, this book facilitates a paradigm shift in the understanding and roles of aquaporin membrane proteins in all biological settings. It encourages scientists to develop novel approaches for the treatment of human diseases based on aquaporin function or dysfunction.