Article Abstract:
A cDNA isolated from the mouse choroid plexus encodes a high affinity leptin receptor (OB-R) that bears structural homology to the class I cytokine receptors. The amino acid sequence of OB-R is most similar to the receptors of leukemia inhibitory factor, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor and interleukin-6. The gene encoding the OB-R is present in the diabetes gene locus. OB-R is a single membrane spanning receptor. The OB-R mRNA may also be expressed in tissues such as the hypothalamus. The protein leptin is produced by the obesity gene and controls the body weight homeostasis.
User Contributions:
Comment about this article or add new information about this topic:
Article Abstract:
Recent studies of the genetic basis of obesity in db/db mice suggest that the leptin (OB-R) gene generates transcripts that initiate intracellular signal transduction in the db locus, which contains the gene for obesity. An alternatively spliced mouse transcript analogous to the human cDNA encoding a long intracellular domain form of OB-R was identified. Genetic analysis showed that this transcript does not contain a 106 nt insertion. It is suggested that mutations to the gene converts the 106 nt region to a novel exon retained in the OB-R transcript.
User Contributions:
Comment about this article or add new information about this topic:
Article Abstract:
Positional cloning and initial characterization of the defective gene in the tubby obesity mutant are discussed. The tub gene, CBT9, is nonrecombinant with the obesity phenotype in 1232 meioses. The wild-type transcript is predominantly expressed in the paraventricular, ventromedial and arcuate nuclei of the hypothalamus, regions of the brain involved in body weight regulation.
User Contributions:
Comment about this article or add new information about this topic: