The role of a novel chemerin receptor, G protein-coupled receptor-1 (GPR1) on adipose tissue function in obesity and inflammation.

Currently, almost 60% of Canadian adults are obese or overweight. Obesity puts individuals at increased risk for a number of severe diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, chronic inflammation, and cancer. It is unclear what role extra fat tissue plays in the development of these diseases and few therapeutic strategies exist for reducing the risk of their development. Researchers now believe that hormone-like proteins called adipokines, which are secreted from fat tissue, become dysregulated in obesity and may underlie disease development. Chemerin is an adipokine that is released into the blood by fat cells and is important in controlling fat development, and regulating energy metabolism in tissues outside of fat. Chemerin exerts its functions by binding to two receptors, CMKLR1 and GPR1. My aim is to determine the changes that occur within fat cells when chemerin binds to these receptors so that we can better understand how chemerin influences the health of fat tissue and overall metabolism. To do this I will determine the levels and signaling of these receptors in the variety of different cells that make up adipose tissue. My research will also examine what happens to adipose tissue, growth, and metabolism in the absence of GPR1 receptors. In the long term, these findings will improve our understanding of how fat cells use chemerin to communicate with other cells of the body and how this communication affects the health of fat tissue. Understanding the signals within chemerin responsive cells will help identify possible new drug targets for treating obesity and disorders related to obesity such as type 2 diabetes, inflammation, and heart disease.