Regulation of epithelial cellular adhesion and polarity

Epithelia separate biological compartment. Aquaporin water channels facilitate transport of water across cellular membranes and are essential in the regulation of water transport across epithelial layers and thus, regulation of body water balance. Recently, it was shown that several aquaporins are overexpressed in multiple cancers which worsened patient prognosis. We recently discovered that when overexpressed, aquaporins can alter epithelial cells. Overexpression of aquaporin number 5 (AQP5) in normal epithelial cells leads to some of the same epithelial cellular changes as occurs during cancer development. We aim to discover how AQP5 mediates these changes on the molecular level. This will provide insight into both epithelial function and cancer development.