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In yeast, the novel protein Atg40 is enriched in the cortical and cytoplasmic endoplasmic reticulum (ER), and loads these ER subdomains into autophagosomes to facilitate ER autophagy; Atg39 localizes to the perinuclear ER and induces autophagic sequestration of part of the nucleus, thus ensuring cell survival under nitrogen-deprived conditions. ER-phagy receptors mapped The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a complex network of membranes involved in protein and lipid synthesis, ion homeostasis, protein quality control and organelle communication. It is also a source of membrane-bounded vesicles called autophagosomes, the vehicles for the self-digesting cellular process of autophagy. Two papers published online this week [in this issue of Nature] show how the ER itself is targeted for degradation by autophagy — a process that could ensure constant ER turnover in response to cellular requirements. Ivan Dikic and coworkers find the protein FAM134B is an ER-resident receptor that facilitates 'ER-phagy'. Downregulation of this protein — mutations of which can cause sensory neuropathy in humans — resulted in expanded ER structures and degeneration of mouse sensory neurons. Hitoshi Nakatogawa and colleagues show that the same phenomenon is conserved in yeast, where Atg40 is enriched in the cortical and cytoplasmic ER, loading these ER subdomains into autophagosomes. A further ER-phagy receptor, Atg39, localizes to the perinuclear ER (or the nuclear envelope) and induces autophagic sequestration of a part of the nucleus, thus ensuring cell survival under nitrogen-deprived conditions. Macroautophagy (hereafter referred to as autophagy) degrades various intracellular constituents to regulate a wide range of cellular functions, and is also closely linked to several human diseases 1 , 2 . In selective autophagy, receptor proteins recognize degradation targets and direct their sequestration by double-membrane vesicles called autophagosomes, which transport them into lysosomes or vacuoles 3 . Although recent studies have shown that selective autophagy is involved in quality/quantity control of some organelles, including mitochondria and peroxisomes 4 , it remains unclear how extensively it contributes to cellular organelle homeostasis. Here we describe selective autophagy of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and nucleus in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae . We identify two novel proteins, Atg39 and Atg40, as receptors specific to these pathways. Atg39 localizes to the perinuclear ER (or the nuclear envelope) and induces autophagic sequestration of part of the nucleus. Atg40 is enriched in the cortical and cytoplasmic ER, and loads these ER subdomains into autophagosomes. Atg39-dependent autophagy of the perinuclear ER/nucleus is required for cell survival under nitrogen-deprivation conditions. Atg40 is probably the functional counterpart of FAM134B, an autophagy receptor for the ER in mammals that has been implicated in sensory neuropathy 5 . Our results provide fundamental insight into the pathophysiological roles and mechanisms of ‘ER-phagy’ and ‘nucleophagy’ in other organisms.

The farnesoid X receptor (FXR) regulates bile acid, lipid and glucose metabolism. Here we show that treatment of mice with glycine-β-muricholic acid (Gly-MCA) inhibits FXR signalling exclusively in intestine, and improves metabolic parameters in mouse models of obesity. Gly-MCA is a selective high-affinity FXR inhibitor that can be administered orally and prevents, or reverses, high-fat diet-induced and genetic obesity, insulin resistance and hepatic steatosis in mice. The high-affinity FXR agonist GW4064 blocks Gly-MCA action in the gut, and intestine-specific Fxr -null mice are unresponsive to the beneficial effects of Gly-MCA. Mechanistically, the metabolic improvements with Gly-MCA depend on reduced biosynthesis of intestinal-derived ceramides, which directly compromise beige fat thermogenic function. Consequently, ceramide treatment reverses the action of Gly-MCA in high-fat diet-induced obese mice. We further show that FXR signalling in ileum biopsies of humans positively correlates with body mass index. These data suggest that Gly-MCA may be a candidate for the treatment of metabolic disorders. The nuclear farnesoid X receptor (FXR) is activated by bile acids and influences energy metabolism. Here, the authors report a small molecule inhibitor of FXR, glycine-ß-muricholic acid, which inhibits FXR in the intestine and improves metabolic homeostasis by repressing intestinal ceramide synthesis.

The Drug Design Data Resource (D3R) ran Grand Challenge 2 (GC2) from September 2016 through February 2017. This challenge was based on a dataset of structures and affinities for the nuclear receptor farnesoid X receptor (FXR), contributed by F. Hoffmann-La Roche. The dataset contained 102 IC50 values, spanning six orders of magnitude, and 36 high-resolution co-crystal structures with representatives of four major ligand classes. Strong global participation was evident, with 49 participants submitting 262 prediction submission packages in total. Procedurally, GC2 mimicked Grand Challenge 2015 (GC2015), with a Stage 1 subchallenge testing ligand pose prediction methods and ranking and scoring methods, and a Stage 2 subchallenge testing only ligand ranking and scoring methods after the release of all blinded co-crystal structures. Two smaller curated sets of 18 and 15 ligands were developed to test alchemical free energy methods. This overview summarizes all aspects of GC2, including the dataset details, challenge procedures, and participant results. We also consider implications for progress in the field, while highlighting methodological areas that merit continued development. Similar to GC2015, the outcome of GC2 underscores the pressing need for methods development in pose prediction, particularly for ligand scaffolds not currently represented in the Protein Data Bank (http://www.pdb.org), and in affinity ranking and scoring of bound ligands.

The bile acid-sensing transcription factor farnesoid X receptor (FXR) regulates multiple metabolic processes. Modulation of FXR is desired to overcome several metabolic pathologies but pharmacological administration of full FXR agonists has been plagued by mechanism-based side effects. We have developed a modulator that partially activates FXR in vitro and in mice. Here we report the elucidation of the molecular mechanism that drives partial FXR activation by crystallography- and NMR-based structural biology. Natural and synthetic FXR agonists stabilize formation of an extended helix α11 and the α11-α12 loop upon binding. This strengthens a network of hydrogen bonds, repositions helix α12 and enables co-activator recruitment. Partial agonism in contrast is conferred by a kink in helix α11 that destabilizes the α11-α12 loop, a critical determinant for helix α12 orientation. Thereby, the synthetic partial agonist induces conformational states, capable of recruiting both co-repressors and co-activators leading to an equilibrium of co-activator and co-repressor binding. The ligand-activated transcription factor farnesoid X receptor (FXR) acts as a cellular sensor for bile acids and is of interest as a drug target. Here the authors employ X-ray crystallography and NMR to characterize the molecular determinants of FXR agonists, antagonists and a partial agonist that drive FXR activation and antagonism.

We present the performance of HADDOCK, our information-driven docking software, in the second edition of the D3R Grand Challenge. In this blind experiment, participants were requested to predict the structures and binding affinities of complexes between the Farnesoid X nuclear receptor and 102 different ligands. The models obtained in Stage1 with HADDOCK and ligand-specific protocol show an average ligand RMSD of 5.1 Å from the crystal structure. Only 6/35 targets were within 2.5 Å RMSD from the reference, which prompted us to investigate the limiting factors and revise our protocol for Stage2. The choice of the receptor conformation appeared to have the strongest influence on the results. Our Stage2 models were of higher quality (13 out of 35 were within 2.5 Å), with an average RMSD of 4.1 Å. The docking protocol was applied to all 102 ligands to generate poses for binding affinity prediction. We developed a modified version of our contact-based binding affinity predictor PRODIGY, using the number of interatomic contacts classified by their type and the intermolecular electrostatic energy. This simple structure-based binding affinity predictor shows a Kendall’s Tau correlation of 0.37 in ranking the ligands (7th best out of 77 methods, 5th/25 groups). Those results were obtained from the average prediction over the top10 poses, irrespective of their similarity/correctness, underscoring the robustness of our simple predictor. This results in an enrichment factor of 2.5 compared to a random predictor for ranking ligands within the top 25%, making it a promising approach to identify lead compounds in virtual screening.

Phosphorus in crucial for all living organisms. In vertebrate, cellular phosphate homeostasis is partly controlled by XPR1, a poorly characterized inositol pyrophosphate-dependent phosphate exporter. Here, we report the cryo-EM structure of human XPR1, which forms a loose dimer with 10 transmembrane helices (TM) in each protomer. The structure consists of a scaffold domain (TM1, TM3-4) and a core domain (TM2, TM5-10) structurally related to ion-translocating rhodopsins. Bound phosphate is observed in a tunnel within the core domain at a narrow point that separates the tunnel into intracellular and extracellular vestibules. This site contains a cluster of basic residues that coordinate phosphate and a conserved W573 essential for export function. Loss of inositol pyrophosphate binding is accompanied by structural movements in TM9 and the W573 sidechain, closing the extracellular vestibule and blocking phosphate export. These findings provide insight into XPR1 mechanism and pave the way for further in-depth XPR1 studies. XPR1 is the only known organic phosphate exporter. Here, authors report the cryo-EM structures of XPR1 in two distinct states, demonstrating its structural analogy to ion-translocating rhodopsins and the possible mechanism of gating.

Xenotropic and polytropic retrovirus receptor 1 (XPR1) functions as a phosphate exporter and is pivotal in maintaining human phosphate homeostasis. It has been identified as a causative gene for primary familial brain calcification. Here we present the cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structure of human XPR1 (HsXPR1). HsXPR1 exhibits a dimeric structure in which only TM1 directly constitutes the dimer interface of the transmembrane domain. Each HsXPR1 subunit can be divided spatially into a core domain and a scaffold domain. The core domain of HsXPR1 forms a pore-like structure, along which two phosphate-binding sites enriched with positively charged residues are identified. Mutations of key residues at either site substantially diminish the transport activity of HsXPR1. Phosphate binding at the central site may trigger a conformational change at TM9, leading to the opening of the extracellular gate. In addition, our structural analysis reveals a new conformational state of HsXPR1 in which the cytoplasmic SPX domains form a V-shaped structure. Altogether, our results elucidate the overall architecture of HsXPR1 and shed light on XPR1-mediated phosphate export. XPR1, a phosphate exporter, plays a vital role in maintaining phosphate homeostasis in humans. Here, the authors offer structural and functional insights into its dimeric architecture and the mechanisms of phosphate recognition and efflux.

Constitutive androstane receptor (CAR) and pregnane X receptor (PXR) are closely related nuclear receptors with overlapping regulatory functions in xenobiotic clearance but distinct roles in endobiotic metabolism. Car activation has been demonstrated to ameliorate hypercholesterolemia by regulating cholesterol metabolism and bile acid elimination, whereas PXR activation is associated with hypercholesterolemia and liver steatosis. Here we show a human CAR agonist/PXR antagonist, MI-883, which effectively regulates genes related to xenobiotic metabolism and cholesterol/bile acid homeostasis by leveraging CAR and PXR interactions in gene regulation. Through comprehensive analyses utilizing lipidomics, bile acid metabolomics, and transcriptomics in humanized PXR-CAR-CYP3A4/3A7 mice fed high-fat and high-cholesterol diets, we demonstrate that MI-883 significantly reduces plasma cholesterol levels and enhances fecal bile acid excretion. This work paves the way for the development of ligands targeting multiple xenobiotic nuclear receptors. Such ligands hold the potential for precise modulation of liver metabolism, offering new therapeutic strategies for metabolic disorders. CAR and PXR receptors are known to regulate metabolism, however, there is no dual human ligand suitable for therapy. Here, the authors show a CAR agonist/PXR antagonist, MI-883, which regulates cholesterol/bile acid homeostasis by leveraging CAR and PXR activations in plasma cholesterol regulation.

Plant intracellular immune receptors comprise a large number of multi-domain proteins resembling animal NOD-like receptors (NLRs). Plant NLRs typically recognize isolate-specific pathogen-derived effectors, encoded by avirulence (AVR) genes, and trigger defense responses often associated with localized host cell death. The barley MLA gene is polymorphic in nature and encodes NLRs of the coiled-coil (CC)-NB-LRR type that each detects a cognate isolate-specific effector of the barley powdery mildew fungus. We report the systematic analyses of MLA10 activity in disease resistance and cell death signaling in barley and Nicotiana benthamiana. MLA10 CC domain-triggered cell death is regulated by highly conserved motifs in the CC and the NB-ARC domains and by the C-terminal LRR of the receptor. Enforced MLA10 subcellular localization, by tagging with a nuclear localization sequence (NLS) or a nuclear export sequence (NES), shows that MLA10 activity in cell death signaling is suppressed in the nucleus but enhanced in the cytoplasm. By contrast, nuclear localized MLA10 is sufficient to mediate disease resistance against powdery mildew fungus. MLA10 retention in the cytoplasm was achieved through attachment of a glucocorticoid receptor hormone-binding domain (GR), by which we reinforced the role of cytoplasmic MLA10 in cell death signaling. Together with our data showing an essential and sufficient nuclear MLA10 activity in disease resistance, this suggests a bifurcation of MLA10-triggered cell death and disease resistance signaling in a compartment-dependent manner.

Bile acid signaling is a critical regulator of glucose and energy metabolism, mainly through the nuclear receptor FXR and the G protein-coupled receptor TGR. The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether dual activation of FXR and TGR5 plays a significant role in the prevention of atherosclerosis progression. To evaluate the effects of bile acid signaling in atherogenesis, ApoE-/- mice and LDLR-/- mice were treated with an FXR/TGR5 dual agonist (INT-767). INT-767 treatment drastically reduced serum cholesterol levels. INT-767 treatment significantly reduced atherosclerotic plaque formation in both ApoE-/- and LDLR-/- mice. INT-767 decreased the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines in the aortas of ApoE-/- mice through the inactivation of NF-κB. In addition, J774 macrophages treated with INT-767 had significantly lower levels of active NF-κB, resulting in cytokine production in response to LPS through a PKA dependent mechanism. This study demonstrates that concurrent activation of FXR and TGR5 attenuates atherosclerosis by reducing both circulating lipids and inflammation.