Structure of Leptin

Leptin plays a major role in weight control.

Human behavior is controlled by brain chemicals called neurotransmitters. According to St. Edward's University Department of Chemistry, of the approximately 40 neurotransmitters present in the brain, 12 control eating behavior. Leptin, produced by fat-storing cells, controls eating behavior by telling the brain when enough food has been consumed to maintain body weight.

Chemical Nature

Leptin is a protein consisting of 146 building blocks called amino acids. A particular gene, called the obesity gene, carries the information required for leptin production. Scientists at St. Edwards University write of a hypothesis linking obesity gene mutations to cases of severe early-onset obesity. Leptin has a mass of approximately 16 kilodaltons.

Chemical Structure

Leptins consist of four helices running parallel, but in different directions to each other. Each helix, or spiral, is five to six turns long. Arrangement of the four helices in an up-up-down-down folding pattern creates a two layer bundle.

Significance

According to a study published by the Department of Chemistry at Indiana University, leptin resistance or deficiency can cause diabetes, infertility and obesity in humans. The findings make leptin and its mode of action a primary target for pharmaceutical companies interested in developing new obesity-fighting drugs.

References

• St. Edwards University: Leptin - Structure & Overview
• University of Arizona: Listening to Leptin
• Indiana University at Bloomington: Leptin - Structure, Function and Biology
• Colorado State University: Leptin

Resources

• "Los Angeles Times": The Waning Promise of Leptin in the Obesity Fight