| First Author | He L | Year | 2001 |
| Journal | Nat Genet | Volume | 27 |
| Issue | 1 | Pages | 40-7 |
| PubMed ID | 11137996 | Mgi Jnum | J:66735 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:1929043 | Doi | 10.1038/83741 |
| Citation | He L, et al. (2001) A biochemical function for attractin in agouti-induced pigmentation and obesity. Nat Genet 27(1):40-7 |
| abstractText | Agouti protein, a paracrine signaling molecule normally limited to skin, is ectopically expressed in lethal yellow (A(y)) mice, and causes obesity by mimicking agouti-related protein (Agrp), found primarily in the hypothalamus. Mouse attractin (Atrn) is a widely expressed transmembrane protein whose loss of function in mahogany (Atrn(mg-3J)/ Atrn(mg-3J)) mutant mice blocks the pleiotropic effects of A(y). Here we demonstrate in transgenic, biochemical and genetic-interaction experiments that attractin is a low-affinity receptor for agouti protein, but not Agrp, in vitro and in vivo. Additional histopathologic abnormalities in Atrn(mg-3J)/Atrn(mg-3J) mice and cross-species genomic comparisons indicate that Atrn has multiple functions distinct from both a physiologic and an evolutionary perspective. |
