A cell-based protein-protein interaction method using a permuted luciferase reporter.

We have developed a novel cell-based protein-protein interaction assay method. The method relies on conversion of an inactive permuted luciferase containing a Tobacco Etch Virus protease (TEV) cleavage sequence fused onto protein (A) to an active luciferase upon interaction and cleavage by another protein (B) fused with the TEV protease. We demonstrate assay applicability for ligand-induced protein-protein interactions including G-protein coupled receptors, receptor tyrosine kinases and nuclear hormone receptors.

The central cannabinoid CB1 receptor is required for diet-induced obesity and rimonabant's antiobesity effects in mice.

Cannabinoid receptor CB1 is expressed abundantly in the brain and presumably in the peripheral tissues responsible for energy metabolism. It is unclear if the antiobesity effects of rimonabant, a CB1 antagonist, are mediated through the central or the peripheral CB1 receptors. To address this question, we generated transgenic mice with central nervous system (CNS)-specific knockdown (KD) of CB1, by expressing an artificial microRNA (AMIR) under the control of the neuronal Thy1.2 promoter. In the mutant mice, CB1 expression was reduced in the brain and spinal cord, whereas no change was observed in the superior cervical ganglia (SCG), sympathetic trunk, enteric nervous system, and pancreatic ganglia. In contrast to the neuronal tissues, CB1 was undetectable in the brown adipose tissue (BAT) or the liver. Consistent with the selective loss of central CB1, agonist-induced hypothermia was attenuated in the mutant mice, but the agonist-induced delay of gastrointestinal transit (GIT), a primarily peripheral nervous system-mediated effect, was not. Compared to wild-type (WT) littermates, the mutant mice displayed reduced body weight (BW), adiposity, and feeding efficiency, and when fed a high-fat diet (HFD), showed decreased plasma insulin, leptin, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels, and elevated adiponectin levels. Furthermore, the therapeutic effects of rimonabant on food intake (FI), BW, and serum parameters were markedly reduced and correlated with the degree of CB1 KD. Thus, KD of CB1 in the CNS recapitulates the metabolic phenotype of CB1 knockout (KO) mice and diminishes rimonabant's efficacy, indicating that blockade of central CB1 is required for rimonabant's antiobesity actions.

GPR40 is partially required for insulin secretion following activation of beta3-adrenergic receptors.

The free fatty acid (FFA) receptor GPR40, expressed by pancreatic beta-cells, may be responsible for insulin release following beta(3) adrenoceptor (Adrb3) activation. To test this hypothesis, we first studied the effects of Adrb3 agonists SR58611A and CL316,243 in GPR40 knockout (GPR40(-/-)) mice. Both drugs increased blood FFA levels in wild-type (GPR40(+/+)) and GPR40(-/-) mice, indicating that lipolysis is not GPR40-dependent. However, the magnitude of the insulin response after agonist treatment was decreased by approximately 50% in GPR40(-/-) mice. Analysis of the time-course revealed that the change in FFAs (5-10 min post-treatment) in response to SR58611A preceded insulin secretion (10-15 min post-treatment). While reduced by agonist treatment, glucose levels in GPR40(-/-) mice remained significantly higher than in GPR40(+/+) mice. Energy expenditure, food intake, or body weight was not affected in GPR40(-/-) mice, whereas SR58611A increased energy metabolism. Furthermore, CL316,243 did not potentiate glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in isolated mouse islets or activate a cAMP reporter in transgenic mice. Our data indicate that insulin secretion, a secondary event following stimulation of Adrb3 receptors, is partially mediated by GPR40 and suggest that GPR40 is integral to the anti-diabetes effects of Adrb3 agonists.