Differentially expressed genes associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes

The present invention relates to nucleic acid molecules which encode expression products associated with the modulation of obesity, anorexia, weight maintenance, diabetes and/or metabolic energy levels. The nucleic acid molecules and expression products of the present invention are produced by recombinant means or isolated from natural resources. The subject nucleic acid molecules and expression products and their derivatives, homologs, analogs and mimetics are proposed to be useful as therapeutic and diagnostic agents for obesity, anorexia, weight maintenance, diabetes and/or energy imbalance or as targets for the design and/or identification of modulators of their activity and/or function. The subject nucleic acid molecules and expression products are identified using differential display techniques.