Article
Author: Ye, Chuan ; Zhang, Mingxiang ; Huang, Shenming ; Zhang, Zihao ; Pu, Zhao ; Lin, Jun ; Jiang, Changtao ; Kong, Wei ; Yi, Fan ; Guo, Lulu ; Yu, Xiao ; Zhang, Chao ; Li, Fengyang ; Guo, Yongyuan ; Sun, Jin-Peng ; Gao, Junyan ; Wang, Xuemei ; Lin, Hui ; Zhang, Daolai ; Wang, Tengwei ; Ma, Chuanshun ; Zhou, Xiaojun ; Cai, Kui ; Qin, Chengxue ; Lv, Lin ; Han, Jifei
Ceramides play a central role in human health and disease, yet their role as systemic signaling molecules remain poorly understood. In this work, we identify FPR2 as a membrane receptor that specifically binds long-chain ceramides (C14-C20). In brown and beige adipocytes, C16:0 ceramide binding to FPR2 inhibits thermogenesis via G
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-cyclic AMP signaling pathways, an effect that is reversed in the absence of FPR2. We present three cryo–electron microscopy structures of FPR2 in complex with G
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trimers bound to C16:0, C18:0 and C20:0 ceramides. The hydrophobic tails are deeply embedded in the orthosteric ligand pocket, which has a limited amount of plasticity. Modification of the ceramide binding motif in closely related receptors, such as FPR1 or FPR3, converts them from inactive to active ceramide receptors. Our findings provide a structural basis for adipocyte thermogenesis mediated by FPR2.