Publications by authors named "Xiao-Na Tao"

Article Synopsis
  • Individual free fatty acids (FAs) interact with various G protein-coupled receptors, influencing metabolic balance, notably through the identification of GPR120, linked to several metabolic diseases.
  • Researchers used cryo-electron microscopy to examine six structures of GPR120 with FA hormones or synthetic ligands, revealing how specific residues in the receptor's pocket recognize different types of fatty acids.
  • The study's findings on how GPR120 differentiates between double and single bonds could guide the development of targeted drugs for metabolic disorders.
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Long-chain fatty acids (LCFAs) are not only energy sources but also serve as signaling molecules. GPR120, an LCFA receptor, plays key roles in maintaining metabolic homeostasis. However, whether endogenous ligand-GPR120 circuits exist and how such circuits function in pancreatic islets are unclear.

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Adhesion G protein-coupled receptors (aGPCRs) constitute an evolutionarily ancient family of receptors that often undergo autoproteolysis to produce α and β subunits. A tethered agonism mediated by the 'Stachel sequence' of the β subunit has been proposed to have central roles in aGPCR activation. Here we present three cryo-electron microscopy structures of aGPCRs coupled to the G heterotrimer.

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Arrestins recognize different receptor phosphorylation patterns and convert this information to selective arrestin functions to expand the functional diversity of the G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) superfamilies. However, the principles governing arrestin-phospho-receptor interactions, as well as the contribution of each single phospho-interaction to selective arrestin structural and functional states, are undefined. Here, we determined the crystal structures of arrestin2 in complex with four different phosphopeptides derived from the vasopressin receptor-2 (V2R) C-tail.

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