The Role of Aquaporins and Carbon Nanomaterials in Abiotic Stress in Plants

The homeostasis and survival of a plant cell is determined by the stability of its internal environment due to the controlled movement of various molecules and ions into the cell and intercellular space and are provided by the plasma membrane. Aquaporin membrane channel proteins are one of the important components of the plant cells. Plants are characterized by a large number and variety of these proteins, which have different localization, properties, and specificity. The functions of aquaporins are not limited to the transport of water, ions, and individual small molecules; these membrane proteins also play an important role in the development of the reaction-response of plants to the action of biotic and abiotic stress factors. Unfavorable growth conditions cause a change in the activity of aquaporins at transcriptional, translational, and posttranscriptional levels. Modern scientific data on the role of aquaporins in the implementation of the plant’s protective response to the action of various abiotic factors that change the osmotic balance and intracellular homeostasis were analyzed in the review. The effect of carbon nanomaterials (graphene, single- and multiwalled nanotubes, fullerene) on the regulation of the functional activity of aquaporins of various subfamilies and the expression of relevant genes under the influence of abiotic stresses on plants were also characterized.