Use of Designer G Protein-Coupled Receptors to Dissect Metabolic Pathways

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) regulate virtually all metabolic processes, including glucose and energy homeostasis. Recently, the use of designer GPCRs referred to as designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drug (DREADDs) has made it possible to dissect metabolically relevant GPCR signaling pathways in a temporally and spatially controlled fashion in vivo.