Leptin (from the Greek word leptos, meaning thin) is a 16
kDa protein hormone that plays a key role in regulating energy intake and energy expenditure, including the regulation (decrease) of
appetite and (increase) of
metabolism.The effects of leptin were observed by studying
mutant obese mice that arose at random within a mouse colony at the
Jackson Laboratory in 1950. These mice were massively obese and hyperphagic. Leptin itself was discovered in 1994 by
Jeffrey M. Friedman and colleagues at the
Rockefeller University through the study of those mutant mice. The Ob(Lep) gene (Ob for obese and Lep for leptin) is located on
chromosome 7 in humans. Leptin is produced by
adipose tissue and interacts with six types of receptor (LepRa–LepRf). LepRb is the only receptor isoform that contains active intracellular signaling domains. This receptor is present in a number of
hypothalamic nuclei, where it exerts its effects. Importantly, leptin binds to the Ventral Medial nucleus of the
hypothalamus, known as the "
satiety center." Binding of leptin to this nucleus signals to the brain that the body has had enough to eat -- a sensation of satiety. A very small group of humans possess homozygous mutations for the leptin gene which lead to a constant demand for food, resulting in severe obesity. This condition can be successfully treated by the administration of recombinant human leptin.
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A protein produced by adipocytes and found in the plasma of humans and mice.
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