Leptin, blood-brain barrier transport

Leptin signalling is via monomeric receptors in the brain. A short-form of the leptin receptor (Lep-R) is required to transport the hormone across the blood-brain barrier and a long-form Lep-R is located in the hypothalamus. The long-form is functionally linked with a particular type of receptor-associated tyrosine kinase called Janus kinase (JAK, see Section 4.7) whose function is to phosphorylate a STAT (signal transducer and activator of transcription) protein a similar mechanism to that often associated with signalling by inflammatory cytokines. 

Banks, W.A., et al. 2002. Leptin transport across the blood-brain barrier of the Koletsky rat is not mediated by a product of the leptin receptor gene. Brain Res 950 130. 

Kastin AJ, Akerstrom V (2001) Glucose and insulin increase the transport of leptin through the blood-brain barrier in normal mice but not in streptozotocin-diabetic mice. Neuroendocrinology 73 237-242. 

Nonaka N, Hileman SM, Shioda S, Vo P, Banks WA (2004) Effect of lipopolysaccharide on leptin transport across the blood-brain barrier. Brain Res 1016 58-65. 

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