Andy, Speaking of leptin, there was another article that came out concerning a gene that causes males to be larger than females. The gene is STAT5b. As you know, LGND's second core technology focuses on STATs, transcription factors that are the final control point for polypeptide hormone signals. They licensed the STAT technology from the Rockefeller in 1992 and it has broad implications. Leptin is thought to act through STAT3 and STAT5. There are at least 2 closely related STAT5s and now it looks like STAT5b is a major player in determining some of the physical characteristics associated with maleness (earlier reports suggetsed that leptin levels had important female implications). Here's one of the news reports:
HAMILTON, New Zealand (Reuter) - New Zealand scientists believe they have discovered the gene that makes men bigger than women.
Their ground-breaking research is expected to have important medical and agricultural implications, especially in treating dwarfism and increasing the amount of wool, milk and meat from farm animals.
Professor Dick Wilkins, spokesman for the team of scientists at AgResearch Ruakura and Waikato University, told Reuters Tuesday the gene was present in all mammals.
Its discovery was an unexpected result of research into milk production.
The scientists started researching milk production for New Zealand's largest crown research institute, AgResearch, in 1994. Last year they stumbled on the male-growth gene STAT5b in mice.
Wilkins, from the university's Biological Sciences Department, said STAT5b was linked with the rate of growth in males, hair growth and fatness.
Project leader Helen Davey of AgResearch said research had begun with the removal of a gene in mice, and subsequent breeding for investigation.
She said the team had thought it was investigating a single gene, when in fact there were two -- and it knocked out the ``wrong gene,'' STAT5b. The research showed a closely related gene known as STAT5a appeared to be involved in milk production.
``We thought knocking out this gene would specifically alter milk production, so it came as a complete surprise to find male mice were stunted in their growth,'' Davey said.
``We suddenly find ourselves researching a gene which is also relevant to the beef and wool industries and may also be responsible for some growth defects in humans.''
Wilkins said many biochemical and endocrine factors had been found to contribute to making male species bigger than females.
The STAT5b gene orchestrated the process -- ``it acts as the referee that starts the match,'' he said.
The gene interacted with growth hormones, allowing male growth to outstrip female growth. It kicked in when males reached puberty, causing a sudden growth spurt.
Wilkins said the challenge now was what to with the basic concept.
``If the agricultural sector took it up they might be able to run with it and increase animal production. We're looking at fiber, fatness and leanness of animals,'' he said.
One of the research team's first moves was to invite collaboration from male-female growth specialist Professor David Waxman of Boston University in the United States.
Waxman, who analyzed frozen samples for the New Zealand team, recently announced the work at the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society in Minneapolis.
A scientific paper based on the project is to be published in the Proceedings of the U.S. Academy of Sciences.
18:59 07-14-97 |
