Patent ID: 8354241

Claim:
A method for identifying a GLP-1 secretagogue or a compound useful for treating a condition ameliorated by increasing a GLP-1 level, comprising the steps of: (a) contacting a test compound with an isolated host cell or with a membrane of a host cell that expresses a G protein-coupled receptor, wherein the G protein-coupled receptor comprises an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of: (i) amino acids 1-335 of SEQ ID NO:2; (ii) amino acids 1-399 of SEQ ID NO:2; (iii) amino acids 2-335 of SEQ ID NO:2; (iv) amino acids 2-399 of SEQ ID NO:2; (v) the amino acid sequence of a G protein-coupled receptor encoded by a polynucleotide comprising a nucleotide sequence, the nucleotide sequence being the sequence obtainable by a process comprising performing polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on a human DNA sample using specific primers SEQ ID NO:3 and SEQ ID NO:4; and (vi) an amino acid sequence that is at least 95% identical to SEQ ID NO: 2; and (b) determining the ability of the test compound to stimulate functionality of the G protein-coupled receptor; (c) contacting a test compound which stimulates functionality of the G protein-coupled receptor in step (b) in vitro with a mammalian enteroendocrine cell; and (d) determining whether the test compound stimulates GLP-1 secretion from the mammalian enteroendocrine cell; wherein the ability of the test compound to stimulate GLP-1 secretion from the mammalian enteroendocrine cell is indicative of the test compound being a GLP-1 secretagogue or a compound useful for treating a condition ameliorated by increasing a GLP-1 level.