Rived by using the standard deviation and difference between mean in food intake of genotypes [23].Body Weight and Food Intake StudyMice were transferred from group house on soft bedding to individual cages with paper-towel and allowed to acclimatize for three days 1113-59-3 site before commencement of food intake measurements. Body weight, food spillage on the bedding and food in the food hopper were weighed at between 9:00 and 10:00 h. Food consumption was calculated using the weight of food pellets left in the hopper as well as the weight of food (minus feces) spilled on the bedding [9].Quantification of Serum MIC-1/GDF15 Levels in MiceMice were sacrificed at day 6 after implantation of osmotic minipump. Blood samples were collected by cardiac puncture and allowed to clot by standing for 2 hour at 4uC. After centrifugation, the collected sera were stored at 270uC for assay of human MIC1/GDF15 by a previously described, in house ELISA [21,22].MIC-1/GDF15 Regulates Appetite and Body WeightFigure 4. Male MIC2/2 mice exhibit similar metabolic activity to their synergic control mice. Metabolic activity of male MIC-12/2 and control mice with groups of 16 at age between 14?6 weeks was determined by time course of (A) respiratory exchange rate (RER), (B) energy expenditure and (C) ambulatory activity. Energy expenditure was Octapressin adjusted for lean mass via ANCOVA (common lean mass = 25.65 g). (D) Energy expenditure and (E) ambulatory activity were also presented as total for 24 hour, light phase and dark phase. Data are normalized to body weight and plotted as means 6 SE. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0055174.gResults MIC-12/2 Mice have Increased Body Weight and Fat MassTo investigate whether MIC-1/GDF15 might contribute to the physiological regulation of energy homeostasis, the body weight of MIC-12/2 mice and syngeneic controls were monitored between the ages of 4 weeks to 1 year. Male MIC-12/2 mice were on average 660.6 heavier than male MIC-1+/+ control mice of the same age, and female MIC-12/2 mice weighed on average 1060.7 more than female controls (Fig. 1A and 1B, male p = 0.04; female p = 0.01). For both male and female mice, the weight differences between genotypes increased significantly over time (Fig. 1C and 1D, female p,0.01; male p = 0.04). To understand what might have contributed to the increased body weight in MIC-12/2 mice, whole body lean and fat mass were determined by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Whilst male MIC-12/2 mice show a similar lean body mass to age and sex matched controls, female MIC-12/2 mice had a significantly lower lean body mass than age and sex matched MIC-1+/+ mice (Fig. 2A, male p = 0.21; female p,0.01). Both 
male and female MIC-12/2 mice had a significantly higher total fatmass relative to the sex matched MIC-1+/+ mice (Fig. 2B, male p,0.01; female p = 0.04). To further delineate differences in body composition, tissue specific lean mass and fat depot weights were measured directly. There was no significant difference between MIC-1+/+ and MIC12/2 mice of either sex in the relative mass of either the gastrocnemius or tibialis muscles (data not shown), and no differences were observed in mass of brown adipose tissue (Fig. 2C, 2D, male p = 0.35, female p = 0.35). However, there was a significant increase in total white adipose tissue mass (WATt), normalized to body weight, in both male and female MIC-12/2 animals (Fig. 2C, 2D, male p,0.01, female p = 0.02). This was associated with marked significant increases in the.Rived by using the standard deviation and difference between mean in food intake of genotypes [23].Body Weight and Food Intake StudyMice were transferred from group house on soft bedding to individual cages with paper-towel and allowed to acclimatize for three days before commencement of food intake measurements. Body weight, food spillage on the bedding and food in the food hopper were weighed at between 9:00 and 10:00 h. Food consumption was calculated using the weight of food pellets left in the hopper as well as the weight of food (minus feces) spilled on the bedding [9].Quantification 
of Serum MIC-1/GDF15 Levels in MiceMice were sacrificed at day 6 after implantation of osmotic minipump. Blood samples were collected by cardiac puncture and allowed to clot by standing for 2 hour at 4uC. After centrifugation, the collected sera were stored at 270uC for assay of human MIC1/GDF15 by a previously described, in house ELISA [21,22].MIC-1/GDF15 Regulates Appetite and Body WeightFigure 4. Male MIC2/2 mice exhibit similar metabolic activity to their synergic control mice. Metabolic activity of male MIC-12/2 and control mice with groups of 16 at age between 14?6 weeks was determined by time course of (A) respiratory exchange rate (RER), (B) energy expenditure and (C) ambulatory activity. Energy expenditure was adjusted for lean mass via ANCOVA (common lean mass = 25.65 g). (D) Energy expenditure and (E) ambulatory activity were also presented as total for 24 hour, light phase and dark phase. Data are normalized to body weight and plotted as means 6 SE. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0055174.gResults MIC-12/2 Mice have Increased Body Weight and Fat MassTo investigate whether MIC-1/GDF15 might contribute to the physiological regulation of energy homeostasis, the body weight of MIC-12/2 mice and syngeneic controls were monitored between the ages of 4 weeks to 1 year. Male MIC-12/2 mice were on average 660.6 heavier than male MIC-1+/+ control mice of the same age, and female MIC-12/2 mice weighed on average 1060.7 more than female controls (Fig. 1A and 1B, male p = 0.04; female p = 0.01). For both male and female mice, the weight differences between genotypes increased significantly over time (Fig. 1C and 1D, female p,0.01; male p = 0.04). To understand what might have contributed to the increased body weight in MIC-12/2 mice, whole body lean and fat mass were determined by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Whilst male MIC-12/2 mice show a similar lean body mass to age and sex matched controls, female MIC-12/2 mice had a significantly lower lean body mass than age and sex matched MIC-1+/+ mice (Fig. 2A, male p = 0.21; female p,0.01). Both male and female MIC-12/2 mice had a significantly higher total fatmass relative to the sex matched MIC-1+/+ mice (Fig. 2B, male p,0.01; female p = 0.04). To further delineate differences in body composition, tissue specific lean mass and fat depot weights were measured directly. There was no significant difference between MIC-1+/+ and MIC12/2 mice of either sex in the relative mass of either the gastrocnemius or tibialis muscles (data not shown), and no differences were observed in mass of brown adipose tissue (Fig. 2C, 2D, male p = 0.35, female p = 0.35). However, there was a significant increase in total white adipose tissue mass (WATt), normalized to body weight, in both male and female MIC-12/2 animals (Fig. 2C, 2D, male p,0.01, female p = 0.02). This was associated with marked significant increases in the.