G Protein Coupled Receptor 34 (GPR34)

GPR34 is most closely related to the human P2Y4 receptor but does not contain the charged basic residue within TM7 of P2Y receptors that is essential for agonist activity. Northern blot analysis revealed a single transcript in caudate, frontal cortex. putamen, thalamus, hypothalamus, and pons, a double transcript in liver, and no transcripts in cerebellum or hippocampus.The predicted 381-amino acid protein has all of the structural features characteristic of a member of the class I GPCR family and shows 90% amino acid sequence identity with mouse Gpr34. Expression of human GPR34 in COS-7 cells followed by Western blot studies revealed specific bands of a highly glycosylated protein between 75 and 90 kD. Phylogenetic studies showed the existence of GPR34 subtypes.