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XB-ART-15996
Science 1997 Oct 03;2785335:135-8. doi: 10.1126/science.278.5335.135.
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Antagonism of central melanocortin receptors in vitro and in vivo by agouti-related protein.

Ollmann MM , Wilson BD , Yang YK , Kerns JA , Chen Y , Gantz I , Barsh GS .


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Expression of Agouti protein is normally limited to the skin where it affects pigmentation, but ubiquitous expression causes obesity. An expressed sequence tag was identified that encodes Agouti-related protein, whose RNA is normally expressed in the hypothalamus and whose levels were increased eightfold in ob/ob mice. Recombinant Agouti-related protein was a potent, selective antagonist of Mc3r and Mc4r, melanocortin receptor subtypes implicated in weight regulation. Ubiquitous expression of human AGRP complementary DNA in transgenic mice caused obesity without altering pigmentation. Thus, Agouti-related protein is a neuropeptide implicated in the normal control of body weight downstream of leptin signaling.

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Species referenced: Xenopus
Genes referenced: agrp lep mc3r mc4r