THE obese phentotype of ob/ob mice is linked to a mutation in the ob gene that results in
expression of a truncated inactive protein. The ob gene product, leptin, is synthesized in
adipose tissue and is a circulating factor that regulates body weight. Leptin receptors were
recently cloned and a mutation in the leptin receptor gene in obese db/db mice was
identified. Leptin receptor mRNA has been detected in brain, including hypothalamus, but
the cellular localization has so far not been clarified. Here we report on the cellular …