title: Metabolic parameters and emotionality are little affected in G-protein coupled receptor 12 (Gpr12) mutant mice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  G-protein coupled receptors (GPR) bear the potential to serve as yet unidentified drug targets for psychiatric and metabolic disorders. GPR12 is of major interest given its putative role in metabolic function and its unique brain distribution, which suggests a role in emotionality and affect. We tested Gpr12 deficient mice in a series of metabolic and behavioural tests and subjected them to a well-established high-fat diet feeding protocol.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Comparing the mutant mice with wild type littermates, no significant differences were seen in body weight, fatness or weight gain induced by a high-fat diet. The Gpr12 mutant mice displayed a modest but significant lowering of energy expenditure and a trend to lower food intake on a chow diet, but no other metabolic parameters, including respiratory rate, were altered. No emotionality-related behaviours (assessed by light-dark box, tail suspension, and open field tests) were affected by the Gpr12 gene mutation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Studying metabolic and emotionality parameters in Gpr12 mutant mice did not reveal a major phenotypic impact of the gene mutation. Compared to previous results showing a metabolic phenotype in Gpr12 mice with a mixed 129 and C57Bl6 background, we suggest that a more pure C57Bl/6 background due to further backcrossing might have reduced the phenotypic penetrance.
authors.affiliation: Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, Australia. efrank@uow.edu.au
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Frank
authors.forename: Yizhen
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Naomi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Piyaratna
authors.forename: William James
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Body
authors.forename: Peta
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Snikeris
authors.forename: Timothy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: South
authors.forename: Anna-Karin
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Gerdin
authors.forename: Mikael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bjursell
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bohlooly-Y
authors.forename: Leonard
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Storlien
authors.forename: Xu-Feng
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001315:Australia; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D001823:Body Composition; D001831:Body Temperature; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D059305:Diet, High-Fat; D004644:Emotions; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008660:Metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / Q000378:metabolism*; D013548:Sweden; D015430:Weight Gain
chemical_list: C085003:Gpr12 protein, mouse; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled