LEPR : leptin receptor
Description
The LEPR (leptin receptor) is a protein-coding gene located on chromosome 1.
The LEPR gene provides instructions for making a protein called the leptin receptor, which is involved in the regulation of body weight. The leptin receptor protein is found on the surface of cells in many organs and tissues of the body, including a part of the brain called the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus controls hunger and thirst as well as other functions such as sleep, moods, and body temperature. It also regulates the release of many hormones that have functions throughout the body. The leptin receptor is turned on (activated) by a hormone called leptin that attaches (binds) to the receptor, fitting into it like a key into a lock. Normally, the body's fat cells release leptin in proportion to their size. As fat cells become larger, they produce more leptin. This rise in leptin indicates that fat stores are increasing. In the hypothalamus, the binding of leptin to its receptor triggers a series of chemical signals that affect hunger and help produce a feeling of fullness (satiety).
The LEPR gene encodes a protein that acts as a receptor for the hormone leptin. Upon leptin binding, it activates various signaling pathways like JAK2/STAT3 and MAPK cascade/FOS, mediating leptin's effects in both central and peripheral systems. In the hypothalamus, it plays a crucial role in appetite regulation by promoting satiety and increasing energy expenditure. It also regulates bone mass and hormone secretion. Peripherally, it boosts basal metabolism, influences reproduction, regulates pancreatic function and insulin secretion, promotes angiogenesis, and affects immune responses. Its specific actions include stimulating melanocortin production, regulating counter-regulatory response to hypoglycemia, and modulating T cell responses by promoting Th1 cytokine production and suppressing Th2 cytokine production. It may also transport leptin across the blood-brain barrier.
LEPR is also known as CD295, LEP-R, LEPRD, OB-R, OBR.
