Recent Advances in Fungal Aquaporins: Diversity, Function and Structure

A special issue of Journal of Fungi (ISSN 2309-608X).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2025) | Viewed by 694

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Guest Editor
UMR Integrative Physics and Physiology of Trees in Fluctuating Environments, University Clermont Auvergne-INRAE, 63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France
Interests: aquaporin; BioControl Agents (BCAs); trichoderma; plant Immunity
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Aquaporin proteins are transmembrane channel-forming proteins belonging to the major intrinsic protein (MIP) superfamily. They are widely distributed from Archaea to animals, including plants and fungi. The diversity, evolution, structure, function and regulation of plant and animal aquaporins (MIPs) are the subjects of intensive and fascinating research. In contrast, fungal MIPs are still very poorly studied. Fungal MIPs have been classified into three groups: orthodox aquaporins (AQPs), aquaglyceroporins (AQGPs) and X-intrinsic proteins (XIPs); however, to date only a few fungal MIPs have been functionally and structurally characterized.

The remarkable fungal diversity recorded in the biosphere echoes the innumerable functions fungi are capable of performing within a multitude of ecosystems, whether as beneficial, symbiotic or parasitic species. In this respect, the mining of fungal genome databases reveals the existence of a great diversity of putative MIPs. More research is needed to better understand the mechanisms of MIP action of fungi in interactions with Prokaryotes or Eukaryotes (fungi, plants and animals). In addition, fungal MIPs may be interesting targets for the development of antifungal drugs (e.g., to combat fungal diseases) or for potentiating interactions between beneficial candidates (an essential fraction of microbiotic communities) with their hosts. Therefore, the studies that report recent progress achieved in fungal aquaporins will be considered an essential contribution and will be included in this Special Issue.

Dr. Jean Stéphane Venisse
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • aquaporin
  • peroxyporin
  • osmoregulation
  • cell volume regulation
  • adaptation and evolution
  • structure–function correlation
  • expression
  • transgenic fungi
  • mutants
  • stress resistance
  • inhibitor and regulator-related research

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

21 pages, 9479 KiB  
Review
Major Intrinsic Proteins in Fungi: A Special Emphasis on the XIP Subfamily
by Jean-Stéphane Venisse, Gisèle Bronner, Mouadh Saadaoui, Patricia Roeckel-Drevet, Mohamed Faize and Boris Fumanal
J. Fungi 2025, 11(7), 543; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof11070543 - 21 Jul 2025
Viewed by 175
Abstract
The fungal kingdom, with an estimated five million species, has undergone extensive diversification over the past billion years and now occupies a wide array of ecological niches from terrestrial to aquatic ecosystems. To thrive in such diverse environments, fungi must exhibit finely tuned [...] Read more.
The fungal kingdom, with an estimated five million species, has undergone extensive diversification over the past billion years and now occupies a wide array of ecological niches from terrestrial to aquatic ecosystems. To thrive in such diverse environments, fungi must exhibit finely tuned physiological and morphological responses orchestrated by conserved molecular pathways. Increasing evidence suggests that aquaporins (AQPs) play a key role in mediating these adaptive responses, particularly under varying abiotic and biotic stress conditions. However, despite notable advances in recent decades, the precise functional roles of AQPs within the fungal kingdom remains largely unresolved in the field of cell biology. AQPs are transmembrane proteins belonging to the major intrinsic proteins (MIPs) superfamily, which is characterized by remarkable sequence and structural diversity. Beyond their established function in facilitating water transport, MIPs mediated the bidirectional diffusion of a range of small inorganic and organic solutes, ions, and gases across cellular membranes. In fungi, MIPs are classified into three main subfamilies: orthodox (i.e., classical) AQPs, aquaglyceroporins (AQGP), and X-intrinsic proteins (XIPs). This review provides a concise summary of the fundamental structural and functional characteristics of fungal aquaporins, including their structure, classification, and known physiological roles. While the majority of the current literature has focused on the aquaporin and aquaglyceroporin subfamilies, this review also aims to offer a comprehensive and original overview of the relatively understudied X-intrinsic protein subfamily, highlighting its potential implication in fungal biology. Full article
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