Pegylated Mouse Leptin Recombinant is a modified form of leptin, a 16-kDa peptide hormone secreted by adipose tissue. Leptin plays a crucial role in regulating food intake and energy balance. The pegylation process involves attaching polyethylene glycol (PEG) to the leptin molecule, enhancing its stability and half-life in circulation .
Pegylated Mouse Leptin Recombinant is a single, non-glycosylated polypeptide chain containing 146 amino acids, with an additional alanine at the N-terminus. The PEG moiety, typically 20 kDa, is attached to the N-terminus, resulting in a molecular mass of 35.6 kDa as determined by mass spectrometry . This modification increases the hydrodynamic volume, causing the protein to run as a 48 kDa protein on SDS-PAGE and over 100 kDa in gel-filtration on Superdex 200 .
The pegylation of leptin significantly enhances its half-life in circulation, making it more effective in reducing food intake and body weight in vivo compared to non-pegylated leptin . This modification also improves the bioavailability and stability of the protein, allowing for more sustained biological activity .
Pegylated Mouse Leptin Recombinant is widely used in laboratory research to study obesity, diabetes, and other metabolic disorders. Its ability to stimulate the proliferation of BAF/3 cells stably transfected with the long form of the human leptin receptor makes it a valuable tool for investigating leptin signaling pathways .