Mouse models of obesity.
Insights into the etiology of human obesity have arisen from the study of animal models. Animal models of obesity are also important for the development of future treatments of obesity. An agouti mouse mutation resulting in obese, yellow mice was described over a century ago and in 1992 agouti was cloned, making it the first obesity gene characterized at the molecular level. The lethal yellow mouse mutation is one of five dominant agouti mutations and is an excellent model for human obesity. The molecular categorization of agouti was responsible for the elucidation of the melanocortin system's involvement in hypothalamic weight regulation. As genetic knowledge increases many transgenic mice have been created with genes either over-expressed or deleted, models which further enhance the understanding of obesity.
Co-operative Research Centre for Diagnostics, School of Life Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia.
Levi
L
Carroll
Joanne
J
Voisey
Angela
A
van Daal
D054366:Agouti Signaling Protein; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D020738:Leptin / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D008820:Mice, Obese; D009154:Mutation; D009765:Obesity / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013045:Species Specificity; D015430:Weight Gain
D054366:Agouti Signaling Protein; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D020738:Leptin