G Protein Coupled Receptor 161 (GPR161)

Upon ligand binding, G protein-coupled receptors, such as GPR161, activate cytoplasmic G proteins (see GNAS), allowing the receptors to transduce extracellular signals across the plasma membrane into the cell. Phosphorylation of the receptor attenuates signaling. Gpr161 encodes a deduced 529-amino acid protein with 7 transmembrane domains and a C-terminal domain. By database analysis, they identified human GPR161, which shares 92% amino acid identity with mouse Gpr161. In situ hybridization of mouse embryos showed expression in lateral neural folds of the neural plate along the anterior-posterior axis, all stages of lens development, the ventricular zone of the developing central nervous system, forelimbs, hindlimbs, and retina.