Singh, I. ; Onogi, Y. ; Cardoso Micu Menezes, F.M. ; Khasanova, D. ; Kang, L. ; Wang, C. ; Ruiz-Trave, J. ; Sharma, S. ; Khalil, A. ; Reichenbach, V.K. ; Shi, Y. ; Flatley, A. ; Yan, X. ; Israel, A. ; Dragano, N.R.V. ; Aguilar-Pimentel, J.A. ; Hoffmann, A. ; Ghosh, A.* ; Noé, F.* ; Wolfrum, C.* ; Cucuruz, S. ; König, A.-C. ; Burtscher, I. ; Hauck, S.M. ; Lickert, H. ; Hofmann, S.M. ; Feederle, R. ; Schriever, S.C. ; Hernandez-Bautista, R. ; Sancar, G.* ; Cebrian Serrano, A. ; Tetko, I.V. ; Fuchs, H. ; Gailus-Durner, V. ; Blüher, M. ; Hrabě de Angelis, M. ; Ussar, S.
NRAC controls CD36-mediated fatty acid uptake in adipocytes and lipid clearance in vivo.
EMBO J. 44, 5037-5065 (2025)
Adipose tissue is a central organiser of systemic lipid homeostasis and a pharmacological target in obesity, orchestrating cellular responses to environmental cues. Nutritionally regulated adipose and cardiac enriched protein (NRAC) is a small adipocyte-specific transmembrane protein with unknown function. Here, we show that Nrac directly interacts with scavenger receptor CD36 via its first transmembrane domain. Forming a complex with CD36 and caveolin-1 under low extracellular fatty acid (FA) concentrations, NRAC modulates CD36-dependent fatty acid uptake in adipocytes. Upon increase in extracellular FA levels, NRAC is ubiquitinated and internalised, leading to CD36's dissociation from caveolin-1 and clathrin-mediated endocytosis. This results in increased fatty acid uptake into fat cells, adipocyte hypertrophy, increased fat mass and elevated lipid clearance from the blood in chow-diet-fed mice. Finally, human NRAC expression and the intronic SNP rs12878589 are associated with body fat distribution and obesity. Together, these findings reveal a novel regulatory mechanism by which adipocytes sense and respond to extracellular fatty acid availability to fine-tune lipid uptake and storage at cellular and organismal level.
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Publication type
Article: Journal article
Document type
Scientific Article
Thesis type
Editors
Keywords
Adipose Tissue ; Cd36 ; Clathrin-mediated Endocytosis ; Fatty Acid Uptake ; Hypertrophy; Adipose; Insulin; Obesity; Brown
Keywords plus
Language
english
Publication Year
2025
Prepublished in Year
0
HGF-reported in Year
2025
ISSN (print) / ISBN
0261-4189
e-ISSN
1460-2075
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Volume: 44,
Issue: 18,
Pages: 5037-5065
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Publisher
Wiley
Publishing Place
Heidelberg, Germany
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0000-00-00
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0000-00-00
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0000-00-00
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Reviewing status
Peer reviewed
POF-Topic(s)
30205 - Bioengineering and Digital Health
30201 - Metabolic Health
30203 - Molecular Targets and Therapies
30202 - Environmental Health
Research field(s)
Helmholtz Diabetes Center
Enabling and Novel Technologies
Genetics and Epidemiology
PSP Element(s)
G-507200-001
G-502296-001
G-503000-001
G-502200-001
G-504091-002
A-631900-001
G-500692-001
G-506501-001
G-502390-001
G-505700-001
G-502300-001
G-502210-001
G-502294-001
G-500600-001
Grants
Projekt DEAL
Uehara Memorial Foundation, Japan
Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung, Germany
China Scholarship Council
Horizon Europe funding programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Networks
German Federal Ministry of Education and Research
German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD) (MHdA)
DFG
Deutsches Zentrum fur Diabetesforschung (DZD)
National Overseas Scholarship from the Government of India
Copyright
Erfassungsdatum
2025-10-01