Rare Forms of Obesity Caused by Mutations in a Single Gene (Monogenic Obesity)
Several rare forms of obesity result from spontaneous mutations in single genes, so-called monogenic mutations. Such mutations have been discovered in genes that play essential roles in appetite control, food intake, and energy homeostasis—primarily, in genes that code for the hormone leptin, the leptin receptor, pro-opiomelanocortin, and the melanocortin-4 receptor, among others. (1)