LEP and obesity due to melanocortin 4 receptor deficiency: Based on bioinformatic predictions of their involvement in POMC-signaling pathway and their conservation among vertebrates, the expression of mir-383, mir-384-3p, and mir-488 were investigated in models of obesity characterized by a decrease of POMC mRNA expression and leptin insufficiency (ob/ob) or leptin insensitivity (db/db) (Mizuno et al., 1998).