Animals with the viable yellow (Avy/a) gene and their corresponding lean control black mice (a/a) were adrenalectomized or sham adrenalectomized, and changes in body weight, body composition, corticosterone, and GDP-binding to mitochondria isolated from interscapular brown adipose tissue (IBAT) were measured. Adrenalectomy slowed the weight gain of both the yellow obese mice and the black lean mice, but the reduction was greater in the yellow mice. Food intake was significantly reduced in the yellow mice. Adrenalectomy in the yellow mouse was associated with an increase in lean mass and a significant decrease in weights of fat depots. Blood glucose concentrations of the adrenalectomized yellow mice were reduced to levels similar to those of lean mice, but insulin levels, although lower than sham-adrenalectomized yellow mice, remained significantly higher than in lean animals. GDP binding to IBAT mitochondria increased after adrenalectomy in both phenotypes to values that were similar. Corticosterone replacement in adrenalectomized yellow mice produced a dose-dependent increase in body weight that was associated with a decrease in muscle weight and an increase in adipose tissue weight. Both desacetyl-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH) and alpha-MSH interacted with corticosterone to increase body weight gain of adrenalectomized yellow mice. Desacetyl-MSH was more effective than alpha-MSH on increasing adipose tissue and liver weights. The effects of desacetyl-MSH on food intake, weight gain, and tissue weights were independent of the adrenal gland or of corticosterone.