title: Induction of leptin receptor expression in the liver by leptin and food deprivation.
abstract: Leptin resistance is a common feature of obesity and the metabolic syndrome. However, the regulated expression of the leptin receptor (Ob-R) has not been studied in detail. Expression profiling of liver mRNA in leptin-treated wild-type mice revealed a marked increase in leptin receptor mRNA levels, which had not previously been described. This was confirmed by isoform-specific real-time PCR, which showed a >25-fold increase in the mRNAs encoding the short forms (Ob-Ra, Ob-Rc) and a >10-fold increase in the mRNA encoding the long (Ob-Rb) form of the leptin receptor in liver. In parallel, we also observed induction of plasma-soluble leptin receptor (SLR) protein by leptin administration, pair feeding, and short term food restriction. However, induction of SLR by leptin is abolished in mice with selective deletion of Ob-R from liver using Cre-LoxP technology. These data suggest that the liver is a major source of Ob-R mRNA expression under conditions of negative energy balance. Membrane-bound Ob-R is then shed into the circulation as SLR. Our study thus reveals an unexpected role of the liver in modulating total circulating leptin levels and possibly its biological activity.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York 10021, USA.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: Guoqing
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Xinxin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Alexander A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Soukas
authors.forename: Cara S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Wolfish
authors.forename: Jeffrey M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Friedman
authors.forename: Cai
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D001835:Body Weight; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D005508:Food Deprivation; D020738:Leptin / Q000378:metabolism*; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D010920:Placenta / Q000378:metabolism; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D012313:RNA / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D054411:Receptors, Leptin; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D020738:Leptin; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D054411:Receptors, Leptin; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C515447:leptin receptor, mouse; D012313:RNA