A Pipeline to Investigate the Structures and Signaling Pathways of Sphingosine 1-Phosphate Receptors

Lysophospholipids (LPLs) are bioactive lipids that include sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P), lysophosphatidic acid, etc. S1P, a metabolic product of sphingolipids in the cell membrane, is one of the best-characterized LPLs that regulates a variety of cellular physiological responses via signaling pathways mediated by sphingosine 1-phosphate receptors (S1PRs). This implicated that the S1P-S1PRs signaling system is a remarkable potential therapeutic target for disorders, including multiple sclerosis (MS), autoimmune disorders, cancer, inflammation, and even COVID-19. S1PRs, a small subset of the class A G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) family, are composed of five subtypes: S1PR1, S1PR2, S1PR3, S1PR4, and S1PR5. The lack of detailed structural information, however, impedes the drug discovery targeting S1PRs. Here, we applied the cryo-electron microscopy method to solve the structure of the S1P-S1PRs complex, and elucidated the mechanism of activation, selective drug recognition, and G-protein coupling by using cell-based functional assays. Other lysophospholipid receptors (LPLRs) and GPCRs can also be studied using this strategy.