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Updated: Jul 4, 2025

Culturing Primary Rat Inner Medullary Collecting Duct Cells
Published on: June 21, 2013
Molecular basis for human aquaporin inhibition
Peng Huang1, Hannah Åbacka1, Carter J Wilson2
1Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund 22184, Sweden.
Abstract:
Cancer invasion and metastasis are known to be potentiated by the expression of aquaporins (AQPs). Likewise, the expression levels of AQPs have been shown to be prognostic for survival in patients and have a role in tumor growth, edema, angiogenesis, and tumor cell migration. Thus, AQPs are key players in cancer biology and potential targets for drug development. Here, we present the single-particle cryo-EM structure of human AQP7 at 3.2-Å resolution in complex with the specific inhibitor compound Z433927330. The structure in combination with MD simulations shows that the inhibitor binds to the endofacial side of AQP7. In addition, cancer cells treated with Z433927330 show reduced proliferation. The data presented here serve as a framework for the development of AQP inhibitors.
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