The G Protein-Coupled Receptor GPR31 Promotes Pro-inflammatory Responses in Pancreatic Islets and Macrophages

In type 1 diabetes (T1D), the innate and adaptive immune systems attack and eventually destroy the insulin-secreting pancreatic β cells. During this process, β cells activate inflammatory signaling pathways that augment the dysfunction and destruction imposed by cellular autoimmunity. The 12-lipoxygenase (12-LOX) pathway produces the pro-inflammatory eicosanoid 12-HETE, which induces oxidative and endoplasmic reticulum stress and results in diminished insulin secretion and apoptosis. The G protein-coupled receptor GPR31 has been identified as a putative receptor for 12-HETE. In this study, we generated conventional GPR31 knockout (KO) mice on the C57BL/6J background. To interrogate the role of GPR31 in β cells, we treated islets from wildtype and Gpr31b KO mice with pro-inflammatory cytokines and subjected the islets to RNA sequencing. Differentially expressed pathways in Gpr31b KO islets included those pertaining to inflammation and oxidative stress, consistent with functional studies that demonstrated reduced cytokine-induced oxidative stress in Gpr31b KO islets compared to wildtype controls. Bone marrow-derived macrophages from Gpr31b KO mice showed reduced macrophage migration and decreased inflammatory IFN-α and IFN-γ signaling by RNA sequencing. To mimic islet and macrophage inflammation as seen in T1D, wildtype and Gpr31b KO mice were treated with the diabetogenic toxin streptozotocin. Compared to wildtype, Gpr31b KO mice had improved glucose tolerance and preserved β-cell mass. siRNA knockdown of Gpr31b in non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice reduced insulitis, macrophage infiltration, and oxidative stress. Collectively, these findings are consistent with previously published data using 12/15-LOX KO mice and suggest that GPR31 mediates the pro-inflammatory responses of 12-HETE in both β cells and macrophages.