Obesity genes revealedAugust 11, 2008A study of 228 women has revealed genetic variants responsible for body shape. Based on work in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, research published today in the open access journal BMC Genetics identifies natural variation in the human LAMA5 gene as a key determinant of weight. As the prevalence of obesity and related health problems continues to increase worldwide, there is considerable effort being devoted to identify genetic mechanisms that control fat storage. Maria De Luca led a team from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA, who identified candidate genes using different strains of Drosophila. On the basis of the results of these fly experiments, the research team then tested three common variations in the human LAMA5 gene and discovered two gene variants that were associated with body shape, one in women of European American descent and the other affecting women of American African descent. As De Luca reports, "We found one variant to be associated with weight and lean mass in both ethnic groups. This variant was also associated with height, total fat mass and HDL-cholesterol, but only in European American women. A different variant was associated with triglyceride levels and HDL-cholesterol in African American women." The use of flies in a study of human obesity may seem strange, but according to De Luca "Insects store fat like mammals do, as lipid droplets accumulated in the fat body, the functional equivalent of both mammalian liver and white adipose tissue". She adds that, "Drosophila share many components of fat biosynthesis, degradation and regulation with humans, including many of those implicated in diabetes and obesity". BioMed Central |
|||||||||||||||||||||
| Related Drosophila Current Events and Drosophila News Articles Schizophrenia gene's role may be broader, more potent, than thought UCSF scientists studying nerve cells in fruit flies have uncovered a new function for a gene whose human equivalent may play a critical role in schizophrenia. Deciphering the regulatory code Embryonic development is like a well-organised building project, with the embryo's DNA serving as the blueprint from which all construction details are derived. UM Scientists Create Fruit Fly Model to Help Unravel Genetics of Human Diabetes As rates of obesity, diabetes, and related disorders have reached epidemic proportions in the US in recent years, scientists are working from many angles to pinpoint the causes and contributing factors involved in this public health crisis. Circadian surprise: A heat sensor for body-clock synchronization New research on the fruit-fly brain points to a possible mechanism by which temperature influences the body clock, according to scientists from Queen Mary, University of London. Researchers discover mechanism that prevents two species from reproducing Cornell researchers have discovered a genetic mechanism in fruit flies that prevents two closely related species from reproducing, a finding that offers clues to how species evolve. A solution to Darwin's 'mystery of the mysteries' emerges from the dark matter of the genome Biological species are often defined on the basis of reproductive isolation. Ever since Darwin pointed out his difficulty in explaining why crosses between two species often yield sterile or inviable progeny (for instance, mules emerging from a cross between a horse and a donkey), biologists have struggled with this question. Fruit fly pest identified in wine grapes A newly recognized pest in Oregon continues to concern fruit growers and researchers with the recent discovery of a Spotted Wing Drosophila fly in a sample of Willamette Valley wine grapes. A balancing act in Parkinson's disease: Phosphorylation of alpha-synuclein Both genetic and pathologic data indicate a role for the neuronal protein alpha-synuclein in Parkinson disease. Reactive oxygen in fruit flies acts as a cell signalling mechanism for immune response For years, health conscious people have been taking antioxidants to reduce the levels of reactive oxygen in their blood and prevent the DNA damage done by free radicals, which are the result of oxidative stress. But could excessive use of antioxidants deplete our immune systems? Pesky fruit flies learn from experienced females: Study A common household nuisance, the fruit fly, is capable of intricate social learning much like that used by humans, according to new research from McMaster University. More Drosophila Current Events and Drosophila News Articles |
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||