Stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD) is a regulatory enzyme in lipogenesis. The SCD1 gene is tightly regulated by signals such as insulin, leptin, carbohydrate, fatty acids and temperature. The enzyme (mouse 355aa, rat 358aa, ~37 KDa) is constitutively expressed in adipose tissue and is induced in liver in response to fat free, high carbohydrate diet. The SCD-1 expression is higher in female than male mouse. The repression of RNA levels and enzyme activity of hepatic SCD-1 by Leptin has been shown to significantly reduce the triglyceride storage, VLDL production and therefore an increase in fatty acid oxidation. Inhibition of SCD-1 could be of benefit for treatment of obesity, hepatic steatosis and other metabolic disorders.