title: Molecular cloning, sequencing and expression of obese gene in the Chinese.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To construct the human obese (ob) cDNA clone in the Chinese, and analyze the expression of the ob gene in adipose tissue of obese, non-obese subjects and nooinsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) Chinese patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  A ob cDNA clone was isolated by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Four groups of Chinese subjects participated in the study: 1) 12 obese subjects [body mass index (BMI): 28.5 +/- 2.3 kg/m2]; 2) 11 non-obese subjects (BMI: 21.0 +/- 1.5 kg/m2); 3) 8 obese NIDDM patients (BMI: 27.0 +/- 1.4 kg/m2); 4) 11 non-obese NIDDM patients (BMI: 21.2 +/- 1.4 kg/m2). The expression of ob gene mRNA in abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue was examined using RNA dot blot hybridization with a digoxigenin-labeled human ob cDNA probe. The hybridized signals were quantitated by densitometry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A full human ob cDNA fragment which included a glutamine codon at +49 was obtained. A base substitution (A to G) in the coding region at position 287 was found, resulting in a glutamine being replaced by an arginine. Expression of the ob gene was significantly higher in Chinese obese subjects compared to non-obese ones (P < 0.05), and positively correlated with the BMI. No significant difference in the amount of ob mRNA was detected between non-diabetic and diabetic groups at the same BMI level.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We constructed a full length human ob cDNA clone. The expression of the ob gene was significantly higher in Chinese obese subjects than in non-obese ones. The metabolic and hormonal changes associated with NIDDM are not the main factors regulating the expression of the ob gene.
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou 510120, China.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Q
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cheng
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020738:Leptin / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009765:Obesity / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D020738:Leptin; D012333:RNA, Messenger