Allosteric modulation and biased signalling at free fatty acid receptor 2

Abstract

Free fatty acid receptor 2 (FFA2) is a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) that is a primary sensor for short-chain fatty acids produced by gut microbiota. Consequently, FFA2 is a promising drug target for immunometabolic disorders^1,2,3,4. Here we report cryogenic electronic microscopy structures of FFA2 in complex with two G proteins and three distinct classes of positive allosteric modulators (PAMs), and describe noncanonical activation mechanisms that involve conserved structural features of class A GPCRs. Two PAMs disrupt the E/DRY activation microswitch⁵ and stabilize the conformation of intracellular loop 2 by binding to lipid-facing pockets near the cytoplasmic side of the receptor. By contrast, the third PAM promotes the separation of transmembrane helices 6 and 7 by interacting with transmembrane helix 6 at the receptor–lipid interface. Molecular dynamic simulations and mutagenesis experiments confirm these noncanonical activation mechanisms. Furthermore, we demonstrate the molecular basis for the G_i versus G_q bias, which is due to distinct conformations of intracellular loop 2 stabilized by different PAMs. These findings provide a framework for the design of tailored GPCR modulators, with implications that extend beyond FFA2 to the broader field of GPCR drug discovery.