Use of the Peg3 gene in assays and products relating to obesity, thermoregulation and behavioral disorders

Abstract

The invention relates to the finding that animals deficient in the Peg3 gene suffer from a number of phenotypic traits, including obesity, aberrant thermoregulation and behavioral defects, including impaired maternal behavior. The invention provides a transgenic non-human animal which comprises an inactive copy for the Peg3 gene, and the use of such animals as model systems in assays for novel therapies in the treatment of conditions such as those mentioned above.

1 . A transgenic non-human animal which comprises an inactive copy of the Peg3 gene.  
     
     
         2 . A transgenic non-human animal which expresses Peg3 at a higher than wild-type level.  
     
     
         3 . A transgenic animal according to  claim 1  or  2  which is a rodent.  
     
     
         4 . A method of testing a putative modulator of body weight which comprises administering said putative modulator to an animal according to  claim 1 ,  2  or  3  and determining the effect of the putative modulator on body metabolism.  
     
     
         5 . A method of testing a putative modulator of behaviour which comprises administering said putative modulator to an animal according to  claim 1 ,  2  or  3  and determining the effect of the putative modulator on behaviour.  
     
     
         6 . A method for screening for genes associated with the regulation of body weight or temperature, which method comprises providing a Peg3 protein, bringing said protein into contact with other cellular proteins, and determining to which cellular proteins the Peg3 protein is able to bind.  
     
     
         7 . A method according to  claim 6  in the form of a two-hybrid assay or an immunoprecipitation.  
     
     
         8 . A method according to  claim 6  or  7  which further comprises isolating a gene encoding a cellular protein to which said Peg3 protein binds.  
     
     
         9 . A method of determining the association of a Peg3 genotype in human or animal subjects with a phenotypic disorder associated with obesity or thermoregulation, which method comprises: 
 providing nucleic acid from a group of obese subjects and a control group of non-obese subjects;    analysing said nucleic acid; and    determining one or more features of said nucleic acid associated with the obese phenotype.    
     
     
         10 . A method of determining the association of a Peg3 genotype in human or animal subjects with a phenotypic disorder associated with obesity or thermoregulation, which method comprises: 
 providing a body sample containing Peg3 protein from a group of obese subjects and a control group of non-obese subjects;    analysing said Peg3 protein; and    determining one or more features of said protein associated with the obese phenotype.    
     
     
         11 . A method of testing an subject's susceptibility to obesity or a thermoregulatory disorder which comprises analysing the nucleic acid of said subject for one or more features of the Peg3 gene or Peg3 protein associated with obesity or thermoregulatory disorders.  
     
     
         12 . A method according to any one of  claims 8  to  11  wherein said subject is a human subject.