Leptin and leptin receptor mRNA and protein expression in the murine fetus and placenta

摘要

Leptin is a 167-aa protein that is secreted from adipose tissue and is important in the regulation of energy balance. It also functions in hematopoiesis and repro- duction. To assess whether leptin is involved in fetal growth and development we have examined the distribution of Mr- NAs encoding leptin and the leptin receptor (which has at least six splice variants) in the 14.5-day postcoitus mouse fetus and in the placenta using reverse transcription-PCR and in situ hybridization. High levels of gene expression for leptin, the leptin receptor, and the long splice variant of the leptin receptor with an intracellular signaling domain were observed in the placenta, fetal cartilage/bone, and hair follicles.