The aquaglyceroporin 7 (AQP7) facilitates permeation of glycerol through cell membranes and is crucial for lipid metabolism in humans. Glycerol efflux in human adipocytes is controlled by translocation of AQP7 to the plasma membrane upon hormone stimulation.Here we present two X-ray structures of human AQP7 at 1.9 and 2.2 Å resolution. The structures combined with molecular dynamics simulations suggest that AQP7 is a channel selective for glycerol and that glycerol may hamper water permeation through the channel. Moreover, the high resolution of the structures facilitated a detailed analysis of the orientation of glycerol in the pore, disclosing unusual positions of the hydroxyl groups. The data suggest that glycerol is conducted by a partly rotating movement through the channel. These observations provide a framework for understanding the basis of glycerol efflux and selectivity in aquaglyceroporins and pave the way for future design of AQP7 inhibitors.

Aquaglyceroporin 7 (AQP7) facilitates glycerol flux across the plasma membrane with a critical physiological role linked to metabolism, obesity, and associated diseases. Here, we present the single-particle cryo-EM structure of AQP7 determined at 2.55 Å resolution adopting two adhering tetramers, stabilized by extracellularly exposed loops, in a configuration like that of the well-characterized interaction of AQP0 tetramers. The central pore, in-between the four monomers, displays well-defined densities restricted by two leucine filters. Gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC/MS) results show that the AQP7 sample contains glycerol 3-phosphate (Gro3P), which is compatible with the identified features in the central pore. AQP7 is shown to be highly expressed in human pancreatic α- and β- cells suggesting that the identified AQP7 octamer assembly, in addition to its function as glycerol channel, may serve as junction proteins within the endocrine pancreas.

Werner syndrome protein (WRN) is a multifunctional enzyme with helicase, ATPase, and exonuclease activities that are necessary for numerous DNA-related transactions in the human cell. Recent studies identified WRN as a synthetic lethal target in cancers characterized by genomic microsatellite instability resulting from defects in DNA mismatch repair pathways. WRN's helicase activity is essential for the viability of these high microsatellite instability (MSI-H) cancers and thus presents a therapeutic opportunity. To this end, we developed a multiplexed high-throughput screening assay that monitors exonuclease, ATPase, and helicase activities of full-length WRN. This screening campaign led to the discovery of 2-sulfonyl/sulfonamide pyrimidine derivatives as novel covalent inhibitors of WRN helicase activity. The compounds are specific for WRN versus other human RecQ family members and show competitive behavior with ATP. Examination of these novel chemical probes established the sulfonamide NH group as a key driver of compound potency. One of the leading compounds, H3B-960, showed consistent activities in a range of assays (IC 50 = 22 nM, K D = 40 nM, K I = 32 nM), and the most potent compound identified, H3B-968, has inhibitory activity IC 50 ∼ 10 nM. These kinetic properties trend toward other known covalent druglike molecules. Our work provides a new avenue for screening WRN for inhibitors that may be adaptable to different therapeutic modalities such as targeted protein degradation, as well as a proof of concept for the inhibition of WRN helicase activity by covalent molecules.