Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42918796›Full record

ArticleNature communications2026

Attractin-like protein 1 is an essential partner of MC4R to regulate body weight.

Paul Buscaglia, Kate R Bowman, Katherine Lawler, Ciria C Hernandez, Jacopo Scotucci, Rebecca Bounds, Julia M Keogh, Elana Henning, Roger D Cone, I Sadaf Farooqi and 1 more

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Article in Nature communications, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Paul BuscagliaDepartment of Pharmacology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
Kate R BowmanDepartment of Pharmacology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
Katherine LawlerUniversity of Cambridge Metabolic Research Laboratories, Institute of Metabolic Science and NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, United Kingdom.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4188-1804
Ciria C HernandezDepartment of Pharmacology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9715-1734
Jacopo ScotucciUniversity of Cambridge Metabolic Research Laboratories, Institute of Metabolic Science and NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
Rebecca BoundsUniversity of Cambridge Metabolic Research Laboratories, Institute of Metabolic Science and NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
Julia M KeoghUniversity of Cambridge Metabolic Research Laboratories, Institute of Metabolic Science and NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
Elana HenningUniversity of Cambridge Metabolic Research Laboratories, Institute of Metabolic Science and NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
Roger D ConeLife Science Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3333-5651
I Sadaf FarooqiUniversity of Cambridge Metabolic Research Laboratories, Institute of Metabolic Science and NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
Julien A SebagDepartment of Pharmacology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA. jsebag@umich.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8366-312X

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The melanocortin 4 receptor (MC4R) plays a critical role in the central control of energy homeostasis, and its disruption causes severe early-onset obesity. MC4R signaling is tightly regulated by endogenous agonists and antagonists, as well as the accessory protein MRAP2. The single transmembrane protein attractin-like protein 1 (ATRNL1) is a known interactor of MC4R, however, its effect on MC4R signaling and physiological function is not well understood. Here we show that ATRNL1 interacts with MC4R to amplify its signaling in cells and that expression of ATRNL1 potentiates agonist-induced activation of MC4R neurons. Deletion of Atrnl1 in MC4R neurons increased food intake and body weight in rodents. In exomes from 1,623 children with severe early-onset obesity, we identified multiple rare ATRNL1 variants that impair ATRNL1-mediated regulation of MC4R signaling. Cumulatively, these findings establish ATRNL1 as an important regulator of mammalian energy homeostasis.

Indexed as

Body WeightMembrane ProteinsReceptor, Melanocortin, Type 4AnimalsEatingEnergy MetabolismFemaleHEK293 CellsHumansMaleMiceMice, KnockoutNeuronsObesitySignal TransductionMC4R protein, humanMC4R protein, mouseMembrane ProteinsReceptor, Melanocortin, Type 4

Identifiers

PMID42918796

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.