Journal: bioRxiv
Article Title: GLP1R agonists activate human POMC neurons
doi: 10.1101/2024.04.02.587825
Figure Lengend Snippet: A) Normalized expression levels (low to high = yellow to dark green) of candidate genes from scRNAseq data of hPSC-derived hypothalamic POMC neurons (top row), or non-POMC neurons (bottom row), where dot size indicates the fraction of cells in each population in which the candidate gene was detected (UMI ≥ 1). POMC , GLP1R , and CACNA1D are significantly enriched in POMC neurons. B) Table of voltage-gated calcium channel (VGCC) gene names, channel type, and the identity of drugs that selectively inhibit them. C) In a Semaglutide-activated cell, a cocktail of VGCC blockers abolishes agonist-induced fluorescence of the calcium indicator. D,E) Administration of the P/Q-type VGCC blocker ω-Agatoxin does not significantly decrease Semaglutide-induced calcium indicator fluorescence, as seen in a representative trace (D) and in a summary of all Semaglutide-activated cells (E). F,G) Panels as in D,E but with the T-type VGCC blocker TTA-P2. H,I) Panels as in D-G, but with the L-type VGCC blocker Benidipine, which abolished Semaglutide-induced calcium dye fluorescence, as observed with the drug cocktail in (C). J,K) Panels as in D-I, showing that the results from Benidipine (H,I) are replicated with Nifedipine, a second L-type calcium channel blocker. *p<0.05, **p<0.01, ***p<0.001 ****p<0.0001 by one-way ANOVA with repeated measures in E, G, I, K.
Article Snippet: To test for the transcriptional consequences of longer-term exposure to GLP1R agonists, HUES9-POMC-GFP hypothalamic cultures at 40 ± 2 days post-differentiation were cultured in N2B27 medium for 72 hours prior to treatment with vehicle (DMSO) or Semaglutide (2 µM, MedChem Express) in N2B27 medium for 20 hours.
Techniques: Expressing, Derivative Assay, Fluorescence