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Wen Hu

Publications and source records attributed to Wen Hu.

4 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2026

Structural basis for small-molecule agonism at GCGR and GIPR via a conserved intracellular allosteric site.

The glucagon receptor (GCGR) and gastric inhibitory polypeptide receptor (GIPR) are class B GPCRs that regulate glucose homeostasis and energy balance, making them key targets for type 2 diabetes and obesity. Achieving preferential Gs signaling at these receptors with small molecules remains an unmet challenge. Here, we report SIM1, developed through optimization of the PCO371 scaffold, which exhibits preferential Gs signaling at GCGR and GIPR with minimal detectable β-arrestin recruitment and substantially improved efficacy at GIPR. Cryo-EM structures of SIM1-GCGR-Gs (2.53 Å) and SIM1-GIPR-Gs (2.74 Å) reveal a shared intracellular allosteric interface at the receptor-G protein coupling region, distinct from extracellular peptide recognition. Structural comparison with GLP1R suggests that intracellular conformational constraints contribute to differential SIM1 responsiveness, which is restored by targeted mutations. Guided by these insights, analogs SIM2 and SIM3 exhibited up to 20-fold enhanced potency while maintaining an apparent preferential Gs signaling profile. These findings reveal a conserved intracellular allosteric activation mechanism across multiple class B GPCRs and identify SIM1 and its analogs as valuable chemical tools for investigating receptor-specific intracellular allosteric regulation and G protein-preferential signaling.

GCGR↗
PubMed2026

Structural basis of β-arrestin coupling and transducer selectivity in PAC1R.

The pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide receptor (PAC1R) is a class B G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) that engages both G proteins and β-arrestins to mediate diverse signaling responses, yet how PAC1R adopts distinct intracellular conformations to achieve this transducer selectivity remains poorly understood. Here, we report the cryo-electron microscopy structure of PAC1R in complex with β-arrestin 1 (βarr1), revealing a core-engaged conformation. Comparison with the Gs-bound PAC1R structure shows that βarr1 engagement is associated with remodeling of the intracellular transmembrane bundle, including TM5 reorientation and inward movement of TM6, resulting in a receptor core geometry distinct from that of the G protein-bound state. Comparison with the βarr1-bound parathyroid hormone receptor 1 (PTH1R) structure further reveals both conserved and receptor-specific features of βarr1 engagement. Although outward displacement of the TM5 cytoplasmic end is observed in both PAC1R-βarr1 and PTH1R-βarr1 complexes, its specific direction and the resulting TM5-TM6 rearrangements differ between receptors, correlating with distinct βarr1 finger loop orientations within the receptor core. Together, these findings suggest that β-arrestin core engagement by class B GPCRs is accompanied by receptor-specific intracellular remodeling that may contribute to transducer selectivity in PAC1R.

Class B GPCR↗
PubMed2026

Spatial isoform sequencing at single-cell resolution reveals cell-type-specific spatial isoform variability in multiple brain cell types.

Spatial long-read technologies are increasingly common but usually lack single-cell resolution. This leaves unanswered whether spatially variable isoforms reflect variability within one cell type or differences in region-specific cell-type composition. Here, we developed Spl-ISO-Seq2 (500-nm resolution) and accompanying software, Spl-IsoQuant-2 and Spl-IsoFind, enabling long-read sequencing of >450 million barcodes versus 80,000 previously. Applying this to the adult mouse brain, we compared differential isoform abundance between known regions and spatial isoform patterns independent of predefined regions. Both identified overlapping hits, for example, Rps24 in oligodendrocytes. For known Snap25 spatial isoform variation, we show that it occurs in excitatory neurons. The region-agnostic approach also uncovered patterns missed by region-based comparisons, for example, for Ighm. Notably, many spatial isoform signals are not driven by cell-type composition alone. Finally, our software is applicable to many spatial and single-cell protocols, demonstrating reproducibility between platforms (for example, Visium HD/Stereo-seq). Overall, our experimental/analytical methods enable a submicron-resolution-isoform view and open avenues for spatial isoform disease research.

Animals↗
PubMed2026

Primate-specific regulation of the human glycosphingolipid gatekeeper UGCG.

Glycosphingolipids are essential membrane components that organize lipid microdomains and orchestrate cellular signalling, differentiation and neuronal function1-4. In humans, these functions arise from a repertoire of several hundred glycosphingolipid species generated through stepwise glycan elaboration5,6. Entry into this network is controlled by a single committed reaction catalysed by UDP-glucose ceramide glucosyltransferase (UGCG), the gatekeeper that dictates the scale and composition of glycosphingolipid diversity. Despite its biological and therapeutic importance7,8, its mechanism and regulation have remained unknown. Here we report cryogenic electron microscopy structures of full-length human UGCG in eight functional states at 2.9-3.4 Å resolution. UGCG adopts a previously unrecognized triple-pass transmembrane architecture that anchors a GT-A core at the membrane interface and creates a bipartite active site engaging soluble and membrane-embedded substrates. Contrary to canonical GT-A enzymes, UGCG uses a metal-independent catalytic mechanism driven by an arginine network. We identify a primate-specific steric element that tunes lipid affinity and catalytic turnover, modulating glycosphingolipid entry. Structures with clinically used inhibitors reveal how this architecture governs their potency and selectivity. Together, these findings define the structural and evolutionary logic by which one enzyme controls glycosphingolipid diversity and provide a framework for precision modulation of membrane lipid homeostasis in disease.

Animals↗