A new paradigm of intracrine free fatty acid receptor 4 signaling at lipid droplets

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), once thought to be active exclusively at the plasma membrane, have been shown to signal from multiple intracellular membrane compartments, including endosomes and the Golgi. However, the potential occurrence and functional relevance of intracellular signaling for the emerging family of metabolite-sensing GPCRs is largely unknown. Here, we used live-cell imaging, bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) measurements, and functional readouts to investigate signal compartmentalization of the free fatty acid receptor 4 (FFA4), a prototypical metabolite-sensing GPCR that is activated by medium- and long-chain free fatty acids (FFAs). Unexpectedly, we show that FFA4 largely resides on intracellular membranes that are intimately associated with lipid droplets in adipocytes. Upon lipolysis induction, the released FFAs rapidly bind to and activate this intracellular pool of FFA4, leading to local G _i/o coupling and inhibition of cAMP production in the vicinity of lipid droplets. This provides a spatiotemporally confined negative feedback mechanism allowing individual lipid droplets to rapidly adjust their lipolysis rate. Our results reveal a novel ‘intracrine’ signaling modality by a prototypical metabolite-sensing GPCR and identify a new lipid-droplet-associated signaling hub implicated in the rapid regulation of lipid metabolism, with important implications for adipocyte physiology and pharmacology.