Molecular evolution of leptin
C Doyon1, G Drouin, V L Trudeau
1Department of Biology and Center for Advanced Research in Environmental Genomics (CAREG), University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 6N5, Canada.
Abstract:
Leptin, a hormone produced mainly by adipocytes, is involved in the regulation of food intake, metabolism, and reproduction. The objective of this study was to determine the evolutionary relationships of leptin genes. Partial nucleotide sequences of leptin were cloned and sequenced from six mammalian species: large hairy armadillo (Chaetophractus villosus), rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus) [corrected], striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis), raccoon (Procyon lotor), and beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas). The PUZZLE program was used to construct maximum-likelihood trees. Our phylogenetic analysis shows that the grouping of these new mammalian sequences with those currently available in GenBank respect the evolutionary relationships generally accepted for mammals. However, when leptin sequences for chicken and turkey are included in the analysis, these are found to group with mouse and rat leptins. Chicken and mouse leptins are 95% identical. However, when mouse is compared with closer relatives, such as rabbit or bat, identities are approximately 80%. A comparison of extant and ancestral leptin sequences suggests that convergent or parallel evolution is the most plausible hypothesis to explain the similarity between bird and rodent leptins.
More Related Videos
05:45Experimental Approach to Examine Leptin Signaling in the Carotid Bodies and its Effects on Control of Breathing
Published on: October 25, 2019
06:16White and Brown Adipose Grafts: An Approach to Correct Reproductive, Metabolic, and Renal Deficits in Black and Tan Brachyury (BTBR) Obese Mice
Published on: September 9, 2025
Related Concept Videos
Gene Evolution - Fast or Slow?
In contrast, regions which code...
Cis-regulatory Sequences
Gene Duplication and Divergence
The duplicated copies of the gene are called Paralogs. Paralogs with similar sequences and functions form a gene family. Across several species, a large number of gene families are characterized.
Gene Evolution - Fast or Slow?
In contrast, regions which code...
Evolution of New Traits in Microbes
Evolution of Microbial Genome
