Medical Student Research Fellowship for Summer 2003

Mentor: Cai Li, Ph.D.
Department: Physiology/Internal Medicine
Room number: Y8.222
Mail Code: 8854
Phone number: X83340
E-mail: cai.li@utsouthwestern.edu
Project title: How leptin activates its receptor

Human subjects IRB approved project number (where applicable): N/A

Animal subjects IRB approved project number (where applicable): N/A

Project Type (patient-based research, animal-based research, or basic research; this characterization is only to permit a general classification for grouping similar types of projects)
Basic research

Brief Description of Project:
Leptin is an adipose tissue-derived hormone with potent effects on food intake and body weight. Leptin acts by binding to a cell surface receptor, OB-R, a member of the cytokine receptor family. Mutation of leptin or leptin receptor results in massive obesity and many associated disorders.
The extracellular domain of leptin receptor is comprised of more than eight hundred amino acids, containing two homologous regions predicted to bind leptin. Experimental evidence suggests that only the second putative leptin-binding domain can bind leptin. Interestingly, a single amino acid mutation within the first domain, which does not bind leptin, completely abolishes receptor function. This project involves the construction of different receptor constructs and uses a sensitive luciferase reporter assay to determine the structural basis of leptin receptor required for leptin activation.

Previous Research Activities or Publications with Medical Students:
MSTP student: Dan Motola, summer 2001.
Medical Student: Jerry Giles, summer 2002. Jerry's poster tied for second place for his research among all participants last year. A manuscript with Jerry as a co-author has been submitted for publication.

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