Long chain fatty acids (LCFA) serve as energy sources, components of cell membranes and precursors for signalling molecules. Here we show that these biological compounds also regulate gene expression and that they do so by controlling the transcriptional activities of the retinoic acid (RA)-activated nuclear receptors RAR and PPARβ/δ. The data indicate that these activities of LCFA are mediated by FABP5, which delivers ligands from the cytosol to nuclear PPARβ/δ. Both saturated and unsaturated LCFA (SLCFA, ULCFA) bind to FABP5, thereby displacing RA and diverting it to RAR. However, while SLCFA inhibit, ULCFA activate the FABP5/PPARβ/δ pathway. We show further that, by concomitantly promoting the activation of RAR and inhibiting the activation of PPARβ/δ, SLCFA suppress the oncogenic properties of FABP5-expressing carcinoma cells in cultured cells and in vivo. The observations suggest that compounds that inhibit FABP5 may constitute a new class of drugs for therapy of certain types of cancer.

SARS-CoV-2 infection is a major global public health concern with incompletely understood pathogenesis. The SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) glycoprotein comprises a highly conserved free fatty acid binding pocket (FABP) with unknown function and evolutionary selection advantage1,2. Deciphering FABP impact on COVID-19 progression is challenged by the heterogenous nature and large molecular variability of live virus. Here we create synthetic minimal virions (MiniVs) of wild-type and mutant SARS-CoV-2 with precise molecular composition and programmable complexity by bottom-up assembly. MiniV-based systematic assessment of S free fatty acid (FFA) binding reveals that FABP functions as an allosteric regulatory site enabling adaptation of SARS-CoV-2 immunogenicity to inflammation states via binding of pro-inflammatory FFAs. This is achieved by regulation of the S open-to-close equilibrium and the exposure of both, the receptor binding domain (RBD) and the SARS-CoV-2 RGD motif that is responsible for integrin co-receptor engagement. We find that the FDA-approved drugs vitamin K and dexamethasone modulate S-based cell binding in an FABP-like manner. In inflammatory FFA environments, neutralizing immunoglobulins from human convalescent COVID-19 donors lose neutralization activity. Empowered by our MiniV technology, we suggest a conserved mechanism by which SARS-CoV-2 dynamically couples its immunogenicity to the host immune response.

Brown adipocytes are a primary site of energy expenditure and reside not only in classical brown adipose tissue but can also be found in white adipose tissue. Here we show that microRNA 155 is enriched in brown adipose tissue and is highly expressed in proliferating brown preadipocytes but declines after induction of differentiation. Interestingly, microRNA 155 and its target, the adipogenic transcription factor CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein β, form a bistable feedback loop integrating hormonal signals that regulate proliferation or differentiation. Inhibition of microRNA 155 enhances brown adipocyte differentiation and induces a brown adipocyte-like phenotype ('browning') in white adipocytes. Consequently, microRNA 155-deficient mice exhibit increased brown adipose tissue function and 'browning' of white fat tissue. In contrast, transgenic overexpression of microRNA 155 in mice causes a reduction of brown adipose tissue mass and impairment of brown adipose tissue function. These data demonstrate that the bistable loop involving microRNA 155 and CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein β regulates brown lineage commitment, thereby, controlling the development of brown and beige fat cells.

The adipokine adipocyte fatty acid-binding protein (A-FABP) has been implicated in obesity-related cardio-metabolic complications. Here we show that A-FABP increases thermogenesis by promoting the conversion of T4 to T3 in brown adipocytes. We find that A-FABP levels are increased in both white (WAT) and brown (BAT) adipose tissues and the bloodstream in response to thermogenic stimuli. A-FABP knockout mice have reduced thermogenesis and whole-body energy expenditure after cold stress or after feeding a high-fat diet, which can be reversed by infusion of recombinant A-FABP. Mechanistically, A-FABP induces the expression of type-II iodothyronine deiodinase in BAT via inhibition of the nuclear receptor liver X receptor α, thereby leading to the conversion of thyroid hormone from its inactive form T4 to active T3. The thermogenic responses to T4 are abrogated in A-FABP KO mice, but enhanced by A-FABP. Thus, A-FABP acts as a physiological stimulator of BAT-mediated adaptive thermogenesis.

While the transcriptional network of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) has been extensively studied, relatively little is known about how post-transcriptional modulations determine hESC function. RNA-binding proteins play central roles in RNA regulation, including translation and turnover. Here we show that the RNA-binding protein CSDE1 (cold shock domain containing E1) is highly expressed in hESCs to maintain their undifferentiated state and prevent default neural fate. Notably, loss of CSDE1 accelerates neural differentiation and potentiates neurogenesis. Conversely, ectopic expression of CSDE1 impairs neural differentiation. We find that CSDE1 post-transcriptionally modulates core components of multiple regulatory nodes of hESC identity, neuroectoderm commitment and neurogenesis. Among these key pro-neural/neuronal factors, CSDE1 binds fatty acid binding protein 7 (FABP7) and vimentin (VIM) mRNAs, as well as transcripts involved in neuron projection development regulating their stability and translation. Thus, our results uncover CSDE1 as a central post-transcriptional regulator of hESC identity and neurogenesis.