Patent ID: 8389207

Claim:
A method of identifying an agent having potential to mobilize fat stores in a subject, comprising: (i) contacting a test system comprising a TRB3 polypeptide with at least one test agent, wherein the test system is selected from a non-human animal, an isolated tissue, an isolated cell or an isolated TRB3 polypeptide; (ii) following contact of the at least one test agent with the test system, detecting: (a) increased expression of a nucleic acid encoding the TRB3 polypeptide, wherein expression of the nucleic acid encoding the TRB3 polypeptide is increased at least 10% relative to expression of the nucleic acid encoding the TRB3 polypeptide prior to addition of the test agent; (b) increased expression of the TRB3 polypeptide, wherein expression of the TRB3 polypeptide is increased at least 10% relative to expression of the TRB3 polypeptide prior to addition of the test agent; (c) a posttranslational modification of the TRB3 polypeptide. wherein the posttranslational modification of the TRB3 polypeptide comprises phosphorylation or ubiquitination, and wherein the level of phosphorylation or ubiquitination is increased at least 20% relative to the level of phosphorylation or ubiquitination prior to addition of the agent; and/or (d) an enhanced activity of the TRB3 polypeptide, wherein enhanced activity of the TRB3 polypeptide comprises increased formation of TRB3-COP1 complexes, increased formation of TRB3-ACC complexes, or increased TRB3-dependent ACC ubiquitination, and wherein the amount of TRB3-COP1 complexes, TRB3-ACC complexes or TRB3-dependent ACC ubiquitination is increased at least 20% relative to the amount of TRB3-COP1 complexes, TRB3-ACC complexes or TRB3-dependent ACC ubiquitination prior to addition of the test agent; and (iii) identifying the at least one test agent as an agent having potential to mobilize fat stores in a subject.