title: Nutritional Signaling via Free Fatty Acid Receptors.
abstract: Excess energy is stored primarily as triglycerides, which are mobilized when demand for energy arises. Dysfunction of energy balance by excess food intake leads to metabolic diseases, such as obesity and diabetes. Free fatty acids (FFAs) provided by dietary fat are not only important nutrients, but also contribute key physiological functions via FFA receptor (FFAR)-mediated signaling molecules, which depend on FFAs' carbon chain length and the ligand specificity of the receptors. Functional analyses have revealed that FFARs are critical for metabolic functions, such as peptide hormone secretion and inflammation, and contribute to energy homeostasis. In particular, recent studies have shown that the administration of selective agonists of G protein-coupled receptor (GPR) 40 and GPR120 improved glucose metabolism and systemic metabolic disorders. Furthermore, the anti-inflammation and energy metabolism effects of short chain FAs have been linked to the activation of GPR41 and GPR43. In this review, we summarize recent progress in research on FFAs and their physiological roles in the regulation of energy metabolism.
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Biological Science, Graduate School of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo 183-0057, Japan. d142212@hiroshima-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Junki
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Miyamoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Biological Science, Graduate School of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo 183-0057, Japan. 50012152057@st.tuat.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Sae
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hasegawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Biological Science, Graduate School of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo 183-0057, Japan. 50012152019@st.tuat.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Mayu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kasubuchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan. ichimura.atsuhiko.2r@kyoto-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Atsuhiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ichimura
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Biological Science, Graduate School of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo 183-0057, Japan. anakajima@ak.med.kyoto-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nakajima
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Biological Science, Graduate School of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo 183-0057, Japan. ikimura@cc.tuat.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Ikuo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kimura
mesh_terms: D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008659:Metabolic Diseases / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000378:metabolism; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; C473103:FFAR2 protein, human; C473034:FFAR1 protein, human; C106262:FFAR3 protein, human; C519853:FFAR4 protein, human
keywords: FFAR; GPR120; GPR40; GPR41; GPR43; fatty acids