G Protein Coupled Receptor 156 (GPR156)

The deduced 814-amino acid protein contains a putative coiled-coil domain and di-leucine and several RXR(R) ER retention motifs in the C terminus. Semiquantitative RT-PCR showed expression of GPR156 at high levels in human testis, moderate levels in fetal brain, and low levels in all other tissues and brain regions tested. Within neural tissues, expression was highest in the pituitary gland. Northern blot analysis detected transcripts of 4.0, 4.5, and 5.0 kb in testis, suggesting alternative splicing. Antibodies developed against GPR156-specific peptides detected a protein of 87 kD in rat brain and in membranes from HEK293 cells. Studies of rat brain showed abundant expression in the olfactory tubercles, islands of Calleja, nucleus accumbens, piriform cortex, and all fields of the hippocampus.