Abstract

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: The brain is a major consumer of glucose as an energy source and regulates systemic glucose as well as energy balance. Although glucose transporters such as GLUT2 and sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) are known to regulate glucose homeostasis and metabolism, the identity of a receptor that binds glucose to activate glucose signalling pathways in the brain is unknown. In this study, we aimed to discover a glucose receptor in the mouse hypothalamus.

METHODS: Here we used a high molecular mass glucose-biotin polymer to enrich glucose-bound mouse hypothalamic neurons through cell-based affinity chromatography. We then subjected the enriched neurons to proteomic analyses and identified adhesion G-protein coupled receptor 1 (ADGRL1) as a top candidate for a glucose receptor. We validated glucose-ADGRL1 interactions using CHO cells stably expressing human ADGRL1 and ligand-receptor binding assays. We generated and determined the phenotype of global Adgrl1-knockout mice and hypothalamus-specific Adgrl1-deficient mice. We measured the variables related to glucose and energy homeostasis in these mice. We also generated an Adgrl1

RESULTS: Adgrl1 is highly expressed in the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus (VMH) in mice. Lack of Adgrl1 in the VMH in mice caused fasting hyperinsulinaemia, enhanced glucose-stimulated insulin secretion and insulin resistance. In addition, the Adgrl1-deficient mice had impaired feeding responses to glucose and fasting coupled with abnormal glucose sensing and decreased physical activity before development of obesity and hyperglycaemia. In female mice, ovariectomy was necessary to reveal the contribution of ADGRL1 to energy and glucose homeostasis.

CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: Altogether, our findings demonstrate that ADGRL1 binds glucose and is involved in energy as well as glucose homeostasis in a sex-dependent manner. Targeting ADGRL1 may introduce a new class of drugs for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and obesity.

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-2024

Notes/Citation Information

© The Author(s)

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

https://doi.org/10.1007/s00125-023-06010-6

Funding Information

This study received funding from the following sources: National Institutes of Health grants DK124619, DK122190 and DK113115 to KHC; Startup funds, Department of Medicine, University of Rochester to KHC; The Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience Pilot Research Award, University of Rochester to KHC; University Research Award, Office of the Vice President for Research, University of Rochester to KHC; National Institutes of Health instrument grant OD025242 to University of Rochester Mass Spectrometry Resource Laboratory; National Institutes of Health grant DK093000 to the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School; Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University to BKA.

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