Cloning and characterization of the rat free fatty acid receptor GPR120: In vivo effect of the natural ligand on GLP-1 secretion and proliferation of pancreatic β cells

We have recently found that GPR120, which is abundantly expressed in intestine, functions as a receptor for unsaturated long-chain free fatty acids (FFAs) and that GPR120 stimulation promotes the secretion of glucagons-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) in the mouse (Hirasawa et al., Nat Med 11:90-94, 2005). In this study, we cloned and characterized rat GPR120 (rGPR120), and then we examined the in vivo effects of acute and long-term administration of the natural ligand α-linolenic acid (α-LA). The cloned rat GPR120 complimentary DNA had a seven transmembrane structure, and a homology comparison of human, mouse, and rat GPR120 revealed that the rat GPR120 (rGPR120) shares 85 and 98% sequence identity with the human and mouse GPR120 proteins, respectively. The tissue distribution and ligand properties of rGPR120 were similar to those of mouse GPR120. In addition, α-LA provoked a transient increase in [Ca] levels in HEK293 cells expressing rGPR120. Furthermore, administration of α-LA to the rat increased plasma GLP-1 levels, and long-term administration of α-LA led to proliferation of pancreatic β cells, probably because of the enhanced GLP-1 secretion. These results show that rat GPR120 is a G-protein-coupled receptor whose ligand is a free fatty acid, and it may play an important role in the FFA-associated physiological responses. © 2007 Springer-Verlag.