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Dust deposition in northeastern Asia since the Last Glacial Maximum has previously been studied using a variety of archives. However, the mechanisms driving variability in dust are less well constrained. Here, we present records of the Nd‐Sr isotope and major element composition of sediments from Lake Tuofengling, a crater lake located in northeastern China, over the past ∼25 thousand years. The results indicate that the lithogenic fractions of the sediments are a mixture between aeolian dust and local volcanic detritus. Our provenance data suggest that the aeolian dust component is predominantly from the Mongolia Plateau, likely carried by the East Asian Winter Monsoon. Our isotope and calculated dust flux records exhibit similar changing patterns to proxies of global ice volume and the strength of Atlantic meridional overturning circulation, potentially implicating ice sheets and ocean circulation as the dominant drivers of the East Asian Winter Monsoon over this time interval. Plain Language Summary: Dust storms occur frequently throughout Central and East Asia today. Several driving factors, particularly related to the East Asian Summer Monsoon, the East Asian Winter Monsoon (EAWM), and the westerlies, can influence dust production and transport in these regions, both in the modern and during the past. Uncovering the dominant factor(s) can assist in furthering our understanding of atmospheric circulation over Asia during climates both similar and different from today. Here, we collected sediments from a crater lake (Lake Tuofengling (TFL)) located in northeastern Asia and reconstructed dust inputs over the past 25 thousand years. We found that the dust delivered to TFL sediments is mainly sourced from the Mongolian Plateau associated with transport via winds related to the EAWM. Further in‐depth analysis indicates that shifts in ice volume and Atlantic Ocean circulation may be important drivers for the EAWM, at least over the past 25 thousand years. Key Points: Geochemical evidence suggests that the Mongolian Plateau (MP) is the main source of dust for Lake Tuofengling (TFL)The East Asian Winter Monsoon (EAWM) is likely the dominant carrier of aeolian dust from the MP to TFLDust flux and EAWM variability could be driven by a combination of changes in ice volume and Atlantic Ocean circulation [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Grouper MC4R and MRAP2 cDNAs were cloned. • Grouper mc4r and mrap2 were primarily expressed in the brain. • Grouper mc4r and mrap2 were expressed more widely in the periphery in male fish. • Grouper MRAP2 decreased MC4R basal and agonist-stimulated cAMP generation. • Grouper MRAP2 increased MC4R basal ERK1/2 signaling. Melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) and melanocortin receptor accessory protein 2 (MRAP2) play important roles in the melanocortin system, and interaction of MC4R and MRAP2 is suggested to play pivotal role in energy balance of vertebrates. Orange-spotted grouper (Epinephelus coioides) is a widely cultured marine fish with high economic value in Asia. To explore potential interaction between grouper MC4R and MRAP2, herein we cloned grouper mc4r and mrap2. Grouper mc4r consisted of a 981 bp ORF encoding a putative protein of 327 amino acids, while the grouper mrap2 consisted of a 696 bp ORF encoding a putative protein of 232 amino acids. Sequence and phylogenetic analysis revealed that the grouper MC4R and MRAP2 were highly homologous at amino acid levels to several teleost MC4Rs and MRAP2s, respectively. qRT-PCR results showed that both mc4r and mrap2 were expressed primarily in the central nervous system. In the periphery, these genes were expressed more widely in male fish. The cloned grouper MC4R was functional, exhibiting high constitutive activity in cAMP pathway, capable of binding to three peptide agonists and increasing intracellular cAMP production dose-dependently. MRAP2 significantly decreased basal and agonist-stimulated cAMP signaling. MRAP2 also increased basal ERK1/2 activation but decreased ligand-induced stimulation when expressed at high levels. These data will facilitate future investigation of these molecules in regulating diverse physiological processes in orange-spotted grouper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]