PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS ON THE EXPRESSION OF AQUAPORIN 1-LIKE HC-1 IN COPE�™S GRAY TREE FROG, HYLA CHRYSOSCELIS

by Pandey, Ram Naresh

Aquaporin 1 is a cell membrane integral protein, which functions for water transport through the hydrophobic cell membrane to the cytoplasm. HC-1 is an aquaporin 1-like protein expressed in Hyla chrysoscelis and amphibian that survives at sub-freezing temperatures in its natural habitat. The goal of the current study was to investigate the expression of HC-1 during changing physiological conditions. The expression level of HC-1 was determined in skin, muscle, liver, kidney, and intestines of warm, cold, frozen, and dehydrated frogs using Western blot and immunohistofluorescence. Although HC-1 was widely distributed, the expression level varied among tissues and physiological conditions. In addition, HC-1 was present in both glycosylated and deglycosylated forms, the pattern of glycosylation also varied with tissues and physiological conditions. Thus, I conclude that HC-1 is widely expressed in tissues of Hyla chrysoscelis, and that it is regulated in these tissues according to physiological demands.