鱼类leptin的生物学特性及功能

瘦素(Leptin)是肥胖基因(Obese gene)的产物, 属于I型细胞因子。在哺乳动物中, leptin主要由脂肪细胞合成与分泌, 是调控摄食、能量代谢、骨骼发育、甲状腺功能以及繁殖等生理过程的重要激素。目前, 多种硬骨鱼类的leptin基因已被克隆, 其功能也已得到初步研究。研究认为, 鱼类leptin的主要合成部位在肝脏, 其在氨基酸序列上与哺乳动物存在很大差异, 但蛋白质结构高度保守; 功能方面, leptin可调节鱼类的摄食、葡萄糖和脂肪代谢以及繁殖等生命活动过程。本文就鱼类leptin及其受体的特征结构、组织分布、表达调控及功能研究进展进行简要综述。  

BIOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND FUNCTIONS OF LEPTIN IN FISH

Leptin is the product of ob gene and a kind of Type I cytokine. It is primarily synthesized and secreted by adipocytes and plays an important role in the regulation of ingestion, energy metabolism, skeletal development, thyroid function, and reproduction in mammals. To date leptin gene has been cloned in various teleostean groups, and there have been studies of the physiological functions of leptin. Previous reports have suggested that fish leptin is mainly synthesized in liver, and the amino acid sequence is different from that in mammals; however, the protein structure is highly conservative. Because of its crucial roles in ingestion, glucose and lipid metabolism, and reproduction, Leptin is potentially a new drug target for improving the glucose utilization efficiency in fish in the future. Therefore in this review we discussed about fish leptin in terms of its structure, expression, functions, tissue-specific distribution and receptors.