The present invention relates to the discovery, identification and characterization of nucleotides that
encode Ob
receptor (ObR), a
receptor protein that participates in mammalian
body weight regulation. The invention encompasses obR nucleotides, host
cell expression systems, ObR proteins, fusion proteins, polypeptides and peptides, antibodies to the
receptor, transgenic animals that express an obR
transgene, or recombinant knock-out animals that do not express the ObR, antagonists and agonists of the receptor, and other compounds that modulate obR
gene expression or ObR activity that can be used for diagnosis,
drug screening,
clinical trial monitoring, and / or the treatment of
body weight disorders, including but not limited to
obesity,
cachexia and
anorexia.