Abstract
SUMMARY Comprehensive transcriptional profiling of glucosesensing neurons is challenging because of low expression levels of glucokinase (Gck) and other key proteins that transduce a glucose signal. To overcome this, we generated and validated transgenic mice with a neuronal/endocrine-specific Gck promoter driving cre expression and mated them to mice with cre-dependent expression of an EGFPtagged ribosomal protein construct (EEF1A1-LSL. EGFPL10) that can be used to map and profile cells. We found significant Gck expression in hypothalamic and limbic regions in cells that are activated following administration of glucose or 2-deoxyglucose. Transcriptional profiling from Gck-cre/EEF1A1-LSL. EGFPL10 mice enriched known and previously unknown glucose-sensing populations including neurons expressing growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH). Electrophysiological recordings show that hypoglycemia activates GHRH neurons, suggesting a mechanistic link between hypoglycemia and growth hormone release. These studies provide a means for mapping glucose-sensitive neurons and for generating transcriptional profiles from other cell types expressing cre in a cell-specific manner. ?? 2013 Elsevier Inc.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 596-607 |
Number of pages | 12 |
Journal | Cell Metabolism |
Volume | 18 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Oct 2013 |