MOLECULAR-CLONING AND TISSUE EXPRESSION OF A NOVEL ORPHAN G-PROTEIN-COUPLED RECEPTOR FROM RAT LUNG

G protein-coupled receptors transduce the signal of a wide variety of hormones, neurotransmitters, cytokines, and other molecules across the cell membrane to elicit the corresponding response inside the target cells, We describe in this paper the molecular cloning and tissue dist ribution of a novel rat G protein-coupled receptor, GPR41, with highes t homology to the human orphan G protein-coupled receptor DRY12. A low er degree of homology was seen with the receptors for bradykinin, angi otensin, and IL8. The expression of GPR41 appears to be the highest in brain and lung tissues, with lesser expression in heart, skeletal mus cle, and kidney, as assayed by northern blotting. No GPR41 message was seen in spleen, liver, or testes, GPR41 failed to bind any of the lig ands tested. (C) 1997 Academic Press.