AQP9 Gene

HGNC Family	Ion channels
Name	aquaporin 9
Description	The aquaporins are a family of water-selective membrane channels. This gene encodes a member of a subset of aquaporins called the aquaglyceroporins. This protein allows passage of a broad range of noncharged solutes and also stimulates urea transport and osmotic water permeability. This protein may also facilitate the uptake of glycerol in hepatic tissue . The encoded protein may also play a role in specialized leukocyte functions such as immunological response and bactericidal activity. Alternate splicing results in multiple transcript variants. [provided by RefSeq, Mar 2016]
Summary	{"type": "root", "children": [{"type": "p", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "\n Aquaporin‐9 (AQP9) is an aquaglyceroporin that serves as a versatile transmembrane channel, mediating the flux not only of water but also of small solutes such as glycerol and hydrogen peroxide. In virus‐specific memory CD8<sup>+</sup> T cells, AQP9 expression is induced by interleukin‐7, ensuring efficient glycerol uptake for triglyceride synthesis and fatty acid esterification—a metabolic adaptation critical for long‐term cell survival and rapid recall responses."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_f", "ref": "1"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " In hepatocytes, AQP9 facilitates the cellular import of glycerol, thereby enabling its subsequent use in gluconeogenesis and lipid metabolism; its expression is tightly regulated by nutritional and hormonal signals such as fasting, refeeding, insulin, and insulin resistance, as evidenced by studies in both mice and human obese patients."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_fs", "start_ref": "2", "end_ref": "5"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " In this context, pharmacological inhibition or genetic ablation of AQP9 reduces glycerol permeability, thereby mitigating excess hepatic glucose output in diabetic models."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": "\n \n "}, {"type": "p", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "\n Beyond its metabolic roles in the liver, AQP9 is instrumental in other tissues. Its expression in mouse erythrocytes governs glycerol permeability, a pathway that can influence the intraerythrocytic growth of malarial parasites."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_f", "ref": "6"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " In addition, AQP9 facilitates the uptake of hydrogen peroxide, implicating this channel in the modulation of intracellular redox signals."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_f", "ref": "7"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " In the context of cancer, upregulation of AQP9 by agents such as all‐trans retinoic acid enhances the cytotoxic uptake of arsenic trioxide in leukemia cells, suggesting a potential role for AQP9 in modulating drug sensitivity."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_f", "ref": "8"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": "\n "}]}, {"type": "t", "text": "\n \n "}, {"type": "p", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "\n AQP9 also appears to contribute to cell structural dynamics and tissue physiology. Its participation in filopodia formation—involving phosphorylation events mediated by protein kinase C and regulation via Cdc42—points to a role in the reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton and cell motility."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_f", "ref": "9"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " In reproductive tissues, AQP9 is expressed in granulosa cells and the syncytiotrophoblast of the human placenta; in these contexts, its regulation by androgens and pathological upregulation in preeclampsia suggest that AQP9 may influence both cell volume regulation and the transfer of solutes critical for fetal development."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_f", "ref": "10"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " Furthermore, its localization in the basolateral membranes of a subset of intestinal goblet cells, together with evidence from ulcerative colitis, implicates AQP9 in the synthesis and/or function of mucus and in maintaining the integrity of tight junctions."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_f", "ref": "12"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": "\n "}]}, {"type": "t", "text": "\n \n "}, {"type": "p", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "\n Collectively, these findings underscore AQP9’s multifaceted roles in metabolism, redox signaling, cell motility, and tissue homeostasis. Its dynamic regulation in response to hormonal, nutritional, and pathological stimuli positions AQP9 as a key mediator in both physiological adaptation and disease, with potential as a therapeutic target in diverse conditions ranging from metabolic disorders and cancer to infectious diseases.\n "}]}, {"type": "rg", "children": [{"type": "r", "ref": 1, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Guoliang Cui, Matthew M Staron, Simon M Gray, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "IL-7-Induced Glycerol Transport and TAG Synthesis Promotes Memory CD8+ T Cell Longevity."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Cell (2015)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1016/j.cell.2015.03.021"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2015.03.021"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "25957683"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25957683"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 2, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Aleksandra M Rojek, Mariusz T Skowronski, Ernst-Martin Füchtbauer, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Defective glycerol metabolism in aquaporin 9 (AQP9) knockout mice."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A (2007)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1073/pnas.0610894104"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0610894104"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "17360690"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17360690"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 3, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Hiroshi Kuriyama, Iichiro Shimomura, Ken Kishida, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Coordinated regulation of fat-specific and liver-specific glycerol channels, aquaporin adipose and aquaporin 9."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Diabetes (2002)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.2337/diabetes.51.10.2915"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.2337/diabetes.51.10.2915"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "12351427"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12351427"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 4, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Giuseppe Calamita, Patrizia Gena, Domenico Ferri, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Biophysical assessment of aquaporin-9 as principal facilitative pathway in mouse liver import of glucogenetic glycerol."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Biol Cell (2012)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1111/boc.201100061"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1111/boc.201100061"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "22316404"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22316404"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 5, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "A Rodríguez, P Gena, L Méndez-Giménez, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Reduced hepatic aquaporin-9 and glycerol permeability are related to insulin resistance in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Int J Obes (Lond) (2014)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1038/ijo.2013.234"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2013.234"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "24418844"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24418844"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 6, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Yangjian Liu, Dominique Promeneur, Aleksandra Rojek, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Aquaporin 9 is the major pathway for glycerol uptake by mouse erythrocytes, with implications for malarial virulence."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A (2007)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1073/pnas.0705313104"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0705313104"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "17636116"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17636116"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 7, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Sachiko Watanabe, Catharina Sagita Moniaga, Søren Nielsen, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Aquaporin-9 facilitates membrane transport of hydrogen peroxide in mammalian cells."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Biochem Biophys Res Commun (2016)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1016/j.bbrc.2016.01.153"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbrc.2016.01.153"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "26837049"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26837049"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 8, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Shingo Kozono, Yu-Min Lin, Hyuk-Soo Seo, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Arsenic targets Pin1 and cooperates with retinoic acid to inhibit cancer-driving pathways and tumor-initiating cells."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Nat Commun (2018)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1038/s41467-018-05402-2"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-05402-2"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "30093655"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30093655"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 9, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Vesa M Loitto, Cai Huang, Yury J Sigal, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Filopodia are induced by aquaporin-9 expression."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Exp Cell Res (2007)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1016/j.yexcr.2007.01.023"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yexcr.2007.01.023"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "17346701"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17346701"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 10, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Fan Qu, Fang-Fang Wang, Xiu-E Lu, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Altered aquaporin expression in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: hyperandrogenism in follicular fluid inhibits aquaporin-9 in granulosa cells through the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase pathway."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Hum Reprod (2010)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1093/humrep/deq078"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/deq078"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "20378617"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20378617"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 11, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "A E Damiano, E Zotta, C Ibarra "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Functional and molecular expression of AQP9 channel and UT-A transporter in normal and preeclamptic human placentas."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Placenta (2006)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1016/j.placenta.2005.11.014"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.placenta.2005.11.014"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "16480766"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16480766"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 12, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Shinji Okada, Takumi Misaka, Ichiro Matsumoto, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Aquaporin-9 is expressed in a mucus-secreting goblet cell subset in the small intestine."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "FEBS Lett (2003)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1016/s0014-5793(03)00256-4"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1016/s0014-5793(03"}, {"type": "t", "text": "00256-4) PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "12681500"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12681500"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 13, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Dennis Liang Fei, Devin C Koestler, Zhigang Li, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Association between In Utero arsenic exposure, placental gene expression, and infant birth weight: a US birth cohort study."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Environ Health (2013)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1186/1476-069X-12-58"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1186/1476-069X-12-58"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "23866971"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23866971"}]}]}]}
Synonyms	SSC1, HST17287, AQP-9, T17287
Proteins	AQP9_HUMAN
NCBI Gene ID	366
API
Download Associations
Predicted Functions
Co-expressed Genes
Expression in Tissues and Cell Lines

Functional Associations

AQP9 has 6,236 functional associations with biological entities spanning 8 categories (molecular profile, organism, chemical, functional term, phrase or reference, disease, phenotype or trait, structural feature, cell line, cell type or tissue, gene, protein or microRNA) extracted from 114 datasets.

Click the + buttons to view associations for AQP9 from the datasets below.

If available, associations are ranked by standardized value

Harmonizome 3.0

AQP9 Gene

Functional Associations

Please acknowledge the Harmonizome in your publications by citing the following reference(s):

	Dataset	Summary
	Allen Brain Atlas Adult Human Brain Tissue Gene Expression Profiles	tissues with high or low expression of AQP9 gene relative to other tissues from the Allen Brain Atlas Adult Human Brain Tissue Gene Expression Profiles dataset.
	Allen Brain Atlas Adult Mouse Brain Tissue Gene Expression Profiles	tissues with high or low expression of AQP9 gene relative to other tissues from the Allen Brain Atlas Adult Mouse Brain Tissue Gene Expression Profiles dataset.
	Allen Brain Atlas Aging Dementia and Traumatic Brain Injury Tissue Sample Gene Expression Profiles	tissue samples with high or low expression of AQP9 gene relative to other tissue samples from the Allen Brain Atlas Aging Dementia and Traumatic Brain Injury Tissue Sample Gene Expression Profiles dataset.
	Allen Brain Atlas Developing Human Brain Tissue Gene Expression Profiles by Microarray	tissue samples with high or low expression of AQP9 gene relative to other tissue samples from the Allen Brain Atlas Developing Human Brain Tissue Gene Expression Profiles by Microarray dataset.
	Allen Brain Atlas Prenatal Human Brain Tissue Gene Expression Profiles	tissues with high or low expression of AQP9 gene relative to other tissues from the Allen Brain Atlas Prenatal Human Brain Tissue Gene Expression Profiles dataset.
	BioGPS Cell Line Gene Expression Profiles	cell lines with high or low expression of AQP9 gene relative to other cell lines from the BioGPS Cell Line Gene Expression Profiles dataset.
	BioGPS Human Cell Type and Tissue Gene Expression Profiles	cell types and tissues with high or low expression of AQP9 gene relative to other cell types and tissues from the BioGPS Human Cell Type and Tissue Gene Expression Profiles dataset.
	BioGPS Mouse Cell Type and Tissue Gene Expression Profiles	cell types and tissues with high or low expression of AQP9 gene relative to other cell types and tissues from the BioGPS Mouse Cell Type and Tissue Gene Expression Profiles dataset.
	Carcinogenome Chemical Perturbation Carcinogenicity Signatures	small molecule perturbations changing expression of AQP9 gene from the Carcinogenome Chemical Perturbation Carcinogenicity Signatures dataset.
	CCLE Cell Line Gene CNV Profiles	cell lines with high or low copy number of AQP9 gene relative to other cell lines from the CCLE Cell Line Gene CNV Profiles dataset.
	CCLE Cell Line Gene Expression Profiles	cell lines with high or low expression of AQP9 gene relative to other cell lines from the CCLE Cell Line Gene Expression Profiles dataset.
	CellMarker Gene-Cell Type Associations	cell types associated with AQP9 gene from the CellMarker Gene-Cell Type Associations dataset.
	ChEA Transcription Factor Binding Site Profiles	transcription factor binding site profiles with transcription factor binding evidence at the promoter of AQP9 gene from the CHEA Transcription Factor Binding Site Profiles dataset.
	ChEA Transcription Factor Targets	transcription factors binding the promoter of AQP9 gene in low- or high-throughput transcription factor functional studies from the CHEA Transcription Factor Targets dataset.
	ChEA Transcription Factor Targets 2022	transcription factors binding the promoter of AQP9 gene in low- or high-throughput transcription factor functional studies from the CHEA Transcription Factor Targets 2022 dataset.
	CMAP Signatures of Differentially Expressed Genes for Small Molecules	small molecule perturbations changing expression of AQP9 gene from the CMAP Signatures of Differentially Expressed Genes for Small Molecules dataset.
	COMPARTMENTS Curated Protein Localization Evidence Scores	cellular components containing AQP9 protein from the COMPARTMENTS Curated Protein Localization Evidence Scores dataset.
	COMPARTMENTS Curated Protein Localization Evidence Scores 2025	cellular components containing AQP9 protein from the COMPARTMENTS Curated Protein Localization Evidence Scores 2025 dataset.
	COMPARTMENTS Text-mining Protein Localization Evidence Scores	cellular components co-occuring with AQP9 protein in abstracts of biomedical publications from the COMPARTMENTS Text-mining Protein Localization Evidence Scores dataset.
	COMPARTMENTS Text-mining Protein Localization Evidence Scores 2025	cellular components co-occuring with AQP9 protein in abstracts of biomedical publications from the COMPARTMENTS Text-mining Protein Localization Evidence Scores 2025 dataset.
	COSMIC Cell Line Gene CNV Profiles	cell lines with high or low copy number of AQP9 gene relative to other cell lines from the COSMIC Cell Line Gene CNV Profiles dataset.
	COSMIC Cell Line Gene Mutation Profiles	cell lines with AQP9 gene mutations from the COSMIC Cell Line Gene Mutation Profiles dataset.
	CTD Gene-Chemical Interactions	chemicals interacting with AQP9 gene/protein from the curated CTD Gene-Chemical Interactions dataset.
	CTD Gene-Disease Associations	diseases associated with AQP9 gene/protein from the curated CTD Gene-Disease Associations dataset.
	dbGAP Gene-Trait Associations	traits associated with AQP9 gene in GWAS and other genetic association datasets from the dbGAP Gene-Trait Associations dataset.
	DepMap CRISPR Gene Dependency	cell lines with fitness changed by AQP9 gene knockdown relative to other cell lines from the DepMap CRISPR Gene Dependency dataset.
	DISEASES Experimental Gene-Disease Association Evidence Scores 2025	diseases associated with AQP9 gene in GWAS datasets from the DISEASES Experimental Gene-Disease Assocation Evidence Scores 2025 dataset.
	DISEASES Text-mining Gene-Disease Association Evidence Scores	diseases co-occuring with AQP9 gene in abstracts of biomedical publications from the DISEASES Text-mining Gene-Disease Assocation Evidence Scores dataset.
	DISEASES Text-mining Gene-Disease Association Evidence Scores 2025	diseases co-occuring with AQP9 gene in abstracts of biomedical publications from the DISEASES Text-mining Gene-Disease Assocation Evidence Scores 2025 dataset.
	DisGeNET Gene-Disease Associations	diseases associated with AQP9 gene in GWAS and other genetic association datasets from the DisGeNET Gene-Disease Associations dataset.
	DisGeNET Gene-Phenotype Associations	phenotypes associated with AQP9 gene in GWAS and other genetic association datasets from the DisGeNET Gene-Phenoptype Associations dataset.
	ENCODE Histone Modification Site Profiles	histone modification site profiles with high histone modification abundance at AQP9 gene from the ENCODE Histone Modification Site Profiles dataset.
	ENCODE Transcription Factor Binding Site Profiles	transcription factor binding site profiles with transcription factor binding evidence at the promoter of AQP9 gene from the ENCODE Transcription Factor Binding Site Profiles dataset.
	ENCODE Transcription Factor Targets	transcription factors binding the promoter of AQP9 gene in ChIP-seq datasets from the ENCODE Transcription Factor Targets dataset.
	ESCAPE Omics Signatures of Genes and Proteins for Stem Cells	PubMedIDs of publications reporting gene signatures containing AQP9 from the ESCAPE Omics Signatures of Genes and Proteins for Stem Cells dataset.
	GAD Gene-Disease Associations	diseases associated with AQP9 gene in GWAS and other genetic association datasets from the GAD Gene-Disease Associations dataset.
	GAD High Level Gene-Disease Associations	diseases associated with AQP9 gene in GWAS and other genetic association datasets from the GAD High Level Gene-Disease Associations dataset.
	GDSC Cell Line Gene Expression Profiles	cell lines with high or low expression of AQP9 gene relative to other cell lines from the GDSC Cell Line Gene Expression Profiles dataset.
	GeneRIF Biological Term Annotations	biological terms co-occuring with AQP9 gene in literature-supported statements describing functions of genes from the GeneRIF Biological Term Annotations dataset.
	GeneSigDB Published Gene Signatures	PubMedIDs of publications reporting gene signatures containing AQP9 from the GeneSigDB Published Gene Signatures dataset.