[The genetics of human monogenic obesity]

Obesity is a clinical syndrome caused by genetic and environmental factors and has a relatively high heretability. Seven genes, of whose mutations each can independently result in severe human obesity, have been cloned. Six of them are involved in the appetite controlling by the central nervous system, and one is related to the regulation of adipocyte differentiation. Investigations into the genetic basis of human obesity are important for understanding the mechanism of obesity formation and for design and screening of anti-obesity drugs.