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.