Recent studies have demonstrated that aquaporin (AQP) expression facilitates cell migration and promotes angiogenesis and neutrophil motility. Migration of tumor cells is a crucial step in tumor invasion and metastasis. Here we investigated the expression of AQP in MCF-7 human mammary carcinoma cells and characterized its function in cell migration. Reverse Transcription–Polymerase Chain Reaction, Immunoblot and Immunofluorescence analysis demonstrated two populations of MCF-7 cell clones with low (AQP1L) and high (AQP1H) AQP1 expression and the AQP1 protein expression patterns in the plasma membrane of MCF-7 cells. MCF-7 cell clones (AQP1L and AQP1H) with low and about two-fold higher osmotic water permeability were identified by functional assays with corresponding low and high AQP1 expression. Cell migration rate was remarkably higher in AQP1H cells as compared to AQP1L cells, assessed by wound healing and transwell migration assays. Adenoviral-mediated mRNA and protein expression of AQP1 in AQP1L cells increased their water permeability and migration rate to the level similar to AQP1H cells. The results provided direct evidence that aquaporin-mediated plasma membrane water permeability played an important role in mammary carcinoma cell migration and may be associated with mammary carcinoma invasion and metastasis.
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