A genetic tool targeting brain GPR75

Abstract

G-protein-coupled receptor 75 (GPR75) has emerged as an important mediator in diet-induced obesity (DIO) and a promising therapeutic target for anti-obesity drugs. However, the anatomical location of GPR75 in the brain remains unclear, hindering the understanding of GPR75 biology in DIO. Here, we generated a new GPR75-GFP-Ires-Cre knockin mouse strain, in which the Cre expression is driven by the endogenous GPR75 promoter and the GFP is fused with the C-terminal of the GPR75 protein. Both Cre and GFP were confirmed to be colocalized with the endogenous GPR75 expression. In addition, the GPR75-GFP fusion protein remains functionally normal with unaltered susceptibility to DIO. Moreover, using this mouse strain, we found that GPR75 is broadly expressed throughout the brain and mainly localized to the cytoplasm of brain neurons. This new genetic tool can therefore be used to study the neural basis for GPR75 in mediating DIO.