REGULATION OF OB GENE-EXPRESSION IN RODENTS AND HUMANS

The discovery of the obese gene in the mouse and its conserved homolog ue in humans has led to important discoveries in energy metabolism. On e of the chief findings was the fact that the expression of the leptin gene was regulated and that it, in turn, could regulate metabolism an d behavior. Much of the literature has focused on the physiological ro le of leptin in driving processes as diverse as reproduction, starvati on defence, feeding behavior or body weight, all dependent on expressi on levels of the ob gene. Here, we will describe our work, in which we have begun to elucidate the regulatory processes controlling obese ge ne expression.