Comparative analysis of Formyl peptide receptor 1 and Formyl peptide receptor 2 reveals shared and preserved signaling profiles

Abstract Pattern Recognition Receptors are key in identifying pathogenic or damaged cell-related patterns or molecules. Among these, the closely linked formyl peptide receptors FPR1 and FPR2 are believed to hold pivotal yet differing functions in immune regulation. To address the intriguing question of how these highly related receptors with a shared agonist spectrum play differing roles in modulating inflammation, we analyzed the signaling profile for a panel of FPR agonists in vivo and ex vivo settings. Our analysis uncovered a shared core signature for both FPRs across signaling pathways. Whereas formylated peptides generally acted as potent agonists at FPR1, FPR2 agonists, irrespective of N-terminal formylation, displayed consistently low activity ratios, suggesting an underutilized signaling potential of this receptor. Signaling outcomes were defined by specific agonist-receptor pairings and no receptor-specific signaling texture was identified. Activation of the FPR signaling axis by fMLF in human neutrophils did impact neutrophil survival. Overall, the distinct characteristics underlying inflammatory, anti-inflammatory, or pro-resolving profiles could not be attributed to a specific receptor isoform, signaling pattern, or a particular class of agonists, challenging assumptions about distinct inflammatory profiles linked to specific receptors, signaling patterns, or agonist classes.