Induction of Gα iI2 -Specific Antisense RNA in Vivo Inhibits Neonatal Growth

Guanosine triphosphate-binding regulatory proteins (G proteins) are key elements in transmembrane signaling and have been implicated as regulators of more complex biological processes such as differentiation and development. The G protein Gα i2 is capable of mediating the inhibitory control of adenylylcyclase and regulates stem cell differentiation to primitive endoderm. Here an antisense RNA to Gα i2 was expressed in a hybrid RNA construct whose expression was both tissue-specific and induced at birth. Transgenic mice in which the antisense construct was expressed displayed a lack of normal development in targeted organs that correlated with the absence of Gα i2 . The loss of Gα i2 expression in adipose tissue of the transgenic mice was correlated with a rise in basal levels of adenosine 3′,5′-monophosphate (cAMP) and the loss of receptor-mediated inhibition of adenylylcyclase. These data expand our understanding of G protein function in vivo and demonstrate the necessity for Gα i2 in the development of liver and fat.