Free fatty acid receptor 2 (GPR43) and Free fatty acid receptor 3 (GPR41) (GPR43 (FFAR2), GPR41 (FFAR3))

Free fatty acid receptor 2 (GPR43, FFAR2) and free fatty acid receptor 3 (GPR41, FFAR3) are closely related G protein-coupled receptors expressed in various tissues, including adipose tissue, immune cells, and the gut epithelium. They are endogenously activated by short-chain fatty acids produced through bacterial fermentation of dietary fiber in the gut. These receptors mediate signaling through G protein pathways and play important roles in integrating host-microbiome metabolic and immune signals. Both are being investigated as therapeutic targets for metabolic, inflammatory, and immune-mediated diseases, but their precise physiological roles—in particular, whether they are protective or deleterious in chronic inflammation—are still being actively researched, with substantial context- and tissue-specific differences observed between studies[1][2][4].

Other names

Free fatty acid receptor 2FFAR2Free fatty acid receptor 3FFAR3

GPR43 and GPR41 are activated by short-chain fatty acids produced by gut microbiota fermentation (notably acetate, propionate, butyrate), leading to downstream signaling via Gi/o and Gq proteins, influencing cAMP and Ca²⁺ levels, and modulating inflammatory and metabolic pathways[1][2][4].