Aquaporin (aqp) proteins are a group of small integral membrane proteins that play crucial roles as pore channels for the transport of water and other small solutes across the cell membrane. In our study, we identified 17 aqp genes from the spotted sea bass (Lateolabrax maculatus) genomic database. Gene organization, motif distribution, and selection pressure analyses were performed to investigate their evolutionary characteristics. The aqp mRNA displayed tissue-specific expression pattern in ten selected tissues of healthy spotted sea bass. To investigate the potential involvement of spotted sea bass aqps in osmoregulation, the expression profiles of aqp genes in gills were examined during freshwater (FW) acclimation using qRT-PCR. The mRNA level of aqp3a was dramatically induced during 1–3 day of the FW transition period (77-fold and 15-fold upregulated on 1 day and 3 day than in the control group), indicating that aqp3a may play an important hypo-osmoregulatory role in spotted sea bass. In addition, the expression levels of aqp1aa, aqp1ab, aqp3b, aqp7, and aqp9b increased to various degrees at 1 day after transferring to FW, suggesting their potential involvement in the FW acclimation process. Our study provides a valuable foundation for future studies aimed at uncovering the specific roles of aqp genes during salinity acclimation in spotted sea bass and other teleost species.

水通道蛋白( aqp ) 蛋白是一组小的完整膜蛋白，作为水和其他小溶质跨细胞膜运输的孔道起着至关重要的作用。在我们的研究中，我们从斑点鲈鱼 ( Lateolabrax maculatus ) 基因组数据库中鉴定了 17 个aqp基因。进行基因组织、基序分布和选择压力分析以研究它们的进化特征。的AQP基因在健康斑鲈鱼10个选择的组织显示组织特异性表达模式。探讨斑点鲈鱼可能卷入水通道蛋白渗透调节，表达谱AQP在淡水 (FW) 驯化过程中使用 qRT-PCR 检查鳃中的基因。aqp3a的 mRNA 水平在 FW 过渡期的 1-3 天被显着诱导（在第 1 天和第 3 天比对照组上调 77 倍和 15 倍），表明aqp3a可能发挥重要的低渗调节作用在斑点鲈鱼中的作用。此外，aqp1aa、aqp1ab、aqp3b、aqp7和aqp9b的表达水平在转入FW后1天都有不同程度的增加，表明它们可能参与了FW的驯化过程。我们的研究为未来的研究提供了宝贵的基础，旨在揭示斑点鲈鱼和其他硬骨鱼物种盐度适应过程中的aqp基因。