FTO Obesity Risk Variants Are Linked to Adipocyte IRX3 Expression and BMI of Children - Relevance of FTO Variants to Defend Body Weight in Lean Children?

ABSTRACT:

Background

Genome-wide association studies have identified variants within the FTO (fat mass and obesity associated) locus as the strongest predictors of obesity amongst all obesity-associated gene loci. Recent evidence suggests that variants in FTO directly affect human adipocyte function through targeting IRX3 and IRX5 and thermogenesis regulation.

Aim

We addressed the relevance of this proposed FTO-IRX pathway in adipose tissue (AT) of children.

Results

Expression of IRX3 was higher in adipocytes compared to SVF. We found increased adipocyte-specific expression of IRX3 and IRX5 with the presence of the FTO risk haplotype in lean children, whereas it was unaffected by risk variants in obese peers. We further show that IRX3 expression was elevated in isolated adipocy

SUBMITTER: Landgraf K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4999231 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature