Puromycin-sensitive aminopeptidase acts as an inhibitory auxiliary subunit of volume-regulated anion channels

Volume-regulated anion channels (VRACs) are large-pore channels present in nearly all vertebrate cells, playing key roles in cell volume regulation and autocrine/paracrine signaling. Here, we identify the ubiquitously expressed puromycin-sensitive aminopeptidase (PSA) as a binding partner of the obligatory VRAC subunit SWELL1 (also known as LRRC8A) and report the cryo-electron microscopy structure of the SWELL1-PSA complex. Three PSA molecules associate with a single SWELL1 hexamer, coupling adjacent leucine-rich repeat (LRR) domains into local dimers. Functionally, PSA overexpression suppresses VRAC activation, whereas its deletion results in elevated basal channel activity. Notably, PSA's regulatory role on VRACs is independent of its aminopeptidase activity. Our findings identify PSA as the first auxiliary subunit of VRACs, highlight the role of intracellular LRR domains in allosteric channel gating, and propose a new strategy for modulating VRAC function in diverse physiological contexts, including cGAMP transport and STING signaling.