9EQG image
Entry Detail
PDB ID:
9EQG
EMDB ID:
Title:
CryoEM structure of human full-length alpha1beta3gamma2L GABA(A)R in complex with GABA and puerarin
Biological Source:
Source Organism:
Host Organism:
PDB Version:
Deposition Date:
2024-03-21
Release Date:
2024-09-18
Method Details:
Experimental Method:
Resolution:
2.40 Å
Aggregation State:
PARTICLE
Reconstruction Method:
SINGLE PARTICLE
Macromolecular Entities
Polymer Type:polypeptide(L)
Description:Gamma-aminobutyric acid receptor subunit alpha-1
Chain IDs:A, D
Chain Length:464
Number of Molecules:2
Biological Source:Homo sapiens
Polymer Type:polypeptide(L)
Description:Gamma-aminobutyric acid receptor subunit beta-3
Chain IDs:B, E
Chain Length:473
Number of Molecules:2
Biological Source:Homo sapiens
Polymer Type:polypeptide(L)
Description:Gamma-aminobutyric acid receptor subunit gamma-2
Chain IDs:C
Chain Length:495
Number of Molecules:1
Biological Source:Homo sapiens
Primary Citation
A brain-to-gut signal controls intestinal fat absorption.
Nature 634 936 943 (2024)
PMID: 39261733 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07929-5

Abstact

Although fat is a crucial source of energy in diets, excessive intake leads to obesity. Fat absorption in the gut is prevailingly thought to occur organ-autonomously by diffusion1-3. Whether the process is controlled by the brain-to-gut axis, however, remains largely unknown. Here we demonstrate that the dorsal motor nucleus of vagus (DMV) plays a key part in this process. Inactivation of DMV neurons reduces intestinal fat absorption and consequently causes weight loss, whereas activation of the DMV increases fat absorption and weight gain. Notably, the inactivation of a subpopulation of DMV neurons that project to the jejunum shortens the length of microvilli, thereby reducing fat absorption. Moreover, we identify a natural compound, puerarin, that mimics the suppression of the DMV-vagus pathway, which in turn leads to reduced fat absorption. Photoaffinity chemical methods and cryogenic electron microscopy of the structure of a GABAA receptor-puerarin complex reveal that puerarin binds to an allosteric modulatory site. Notably, conditional Gabra1 knockout in the DMV largely abolishes puerarin-induced intestinal fat loss. In summary, we discover that suppression of the DMV-vagus-jejunum axis controls intestinal fat absorption by shortening the length of microvilli and illustrate the therapeutic potential of puerarin binding to GABRA1 in fat loss.

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Primary Citation of related structures