美國研究人員日前報告說，他們發現小鼠體重與一種名為FIH的蛋白質有關，這一發現為研制減肥藥物提供了新思路。

美國加州大學圣迭戈分校的研究人員在新一期美國《細胞—代謝》（Cell Metabolism）雜志上報告說，FIH是一種負責調節缺氧反應的蛋白質，缺乏這種蛋白質的小鼠會保持苗條和健康，哪怕它們進食的是高脂肪食物。

在實驗過程中，研究人員通過基因技術培育出缺乏FIH蛋白質的實驗鼠，然后讓它們和普通實驗鼠同時進食脂肪含量高達60%的食物。結果發現，缺乏FIH蛋白質的實驗鼠平均身材明顯比普通實驗鼠“嬌小”，并且具有更強的新陳代謝能力。而普通實驗鼠不僅體重增加，還出現了脂肪肝等。

研究人員表示，將進一步研究FIH蛋白質的功能，以促進減肥新藥的研發。點擊此處下載原文?????????? The Asparaginyl Hydroxylase Factor Inhibiting HIF-1α Is an Essential??????????????????????????????????????? ?Regulator of MetabolismNa Zhang1, Zhenxing Fu2, Sarah Linke4, Johana Chicher5, Jeffrey J. Gorman5, DeeAnn Visk3, Gabriel G. Haddad3,Lorenz Poellinger6, Daniel J. Peet4, Frank Powell2?,?Randall S. Johnson1,?1 Molecular Biology Section, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093,USA2 Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla,CA 92093, USA3 Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA4 School of Molecular and Biomedical Science, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia5 Protein Discovery Centre, Queensland Institute of Medical Research, PO Royal Brisbane Hospital, QLD 4029, Australia6 Karolinska Institute, Stockholm S-17177, SwedenFactor inhibiting HIF-1α (FIH) is an asparaginyl hydroxylase. Hydroxylation of HIF-α proteins by FIH blocks association of HIFs with the transcriptional coactivators CBP/p300, thus inhibiting transcriptional activation. We have created mice with a null mutation in the FIH gene and found that it has little or no discernable role in mice in altering classical aspects of HIF function, e.g., angiogenesis, erythropoiesis, or development. Rather, it is an essential regulator of metabolism: mice lacking FIH exhibit reduced body weight, elevated metabolic rate, hyperventilation, and improved glucose and lipid homeostasis and are resistant to high-fat-diet-induced weight gain and hepatic steatosis. Neuron-specific loss of FIH phenocopied some of the major metabolic phenotypes of the global null animals: those mice have reduced body weight, increased metabolic rate, and enhanced insulin sensitivity and are also protected against high-fat-diet-induced weight gain. These results demonstrate that FIH acts to a significant degree through the nervous system to regulate metabolism.