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Structural biology

Receptors grease the metabolic wheels

Nature volume 544, pages 42–43 (2017)Cite this article

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Structural insights into adiponectin receptors provide evidence that these proteins have an inherent enzymatic activity, which gives them the ability to propagate signalling by their ligand, the hormone adiponectin. See Letter p.120

Since its discovery1,2 in 1995, the fat-derived hormone adiponectin has garnered attention for its roles in regulating glucose and lipid metabolism. Its two membrane-spanning receptors3, adiponectin receptor 1 (AdipoR1) and AdipoR2, transduce adiponectin signals in many target tissues, including the liver, heart, kidney and pancreas4. But an understanding of the mechanisms by which these receptors propagate the vast array of physiological effects that have been attributed to adiponectin has remained elusive. Vasiliauskaité-Brooks et al.5 provide structural and biochemical evidence on page 120 that adiponectin receptors have inherent activity as ceramidase enzymes, modulating metabolism by hydrolysing the lipid ceramide to produce two other signalling molecules — sphingosine and a free fatty acid.

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Figure 1: Adiponectin receptor activity crystallized.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Internal Medicine, William L. Holland and Philipp E. Scherer are in the Touchstone Diabetes Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390–8549, USA.,

    William L. Holland & Philipp E. Scherer

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  1. William L. Holland
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  2. Philipp E. Scherer
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Correspondence to Philipp E. Scherer.

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Holland, W., Scherer, P. Receptors grease the metabolic wheels. Nature 544, 42–43 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature21900

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