In skeletal muscle, AQP4 (aquaporin 4 also known as mercurial insensitive water channel), localizes to the sarcolemma of fast-twitch muscle fibers. Aquaporins (AQPs) are a large family of integral membrane water transport channel proteins that facilitate the transport of water through the cell membrane. This function is conserved in animals, plants and bacteria. Many isoforms of aquaporin have been identified in mammals, designated AQP0 through AQP10. Aquaporins are widely distributed and it is not uncommon for more than one type of AQP to be present in the same cell. Although most aquaporins are only permeable to water, AQP3, AQP7, AQP9 and one of the two AQP10 transcripts are also permeable to urea and glycerol.
