Aquaporin 11, a regulator of water efflux at retinal Müller glial cell surface decreases concomitant with immune-mediated gliosis

Background Muller glial cells are important regulators of physiological function of retina. In a model disease of retinal inflammation and spontaneous recurrent uveitis in horses (ERU), we could show that retinal Muller glial cells significantly change potassium and water channel protein expression during autoimmune pathogenesis. The most significantly changed channel protein in neuroinflammatory ERU was aquaporin 11 (AQP11). Aquaporins (AQP, 13 members) are important regulators of water and small solute transport through membranes. AQP11 is an unorthodox member of this family and was assigned to a third group of AQPs because of its difference in amino acid sequence (conserved sequence is only 11 %) and especially its largely unknown function.