Human obesity: FTO, IRX3, or both?

Human obesity: FTO, IRX3, or both?a

Until recently, evidence was lacking for an enhanced gene expression of the fat mass and obesity (FTO) gene in humans who carry obesitysusceptible genetic variants in FTO. By using a data set of 153 cerebellar brain samples from individuals of European ancestry, Smemo and colleagues have now demonstrated that carriers of common single nucleotide polymorphisms in the FTO gene exhibit a higher ce...

Obesity: problem, solution, or both?

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?

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 pro...

BAC transgenic zebrafish reveal hypothalamic enhancer activity around obesity associated SNP rs9939609 within the human FTO gene

Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in FTO intron 1 have been associated with obesity risk, leading to the hypothesis that FTO is the obesity-related gene. However, other studies have shown that the FTO gene is part of the regulatory domain of the neighboring IRX3 gene and that enhancers in FTO intron 1 regulate IRX3. While Irx3 activity was shown to be necessary in the hypothalamus for the metabol...

Regulations of Adipocyte Phenotype and Obesity by IRX3. Positive or Negative?

Adipocyte is closely related to energy homeostasis. While white adipocyte stores energy as a form of lipids, brown adipocyte dissipates energy by producing heat. In mice and humans exposed to chronic cold temperature, white adipocyte transdifferentiates into brown adipocyte-like cell called beige (brite) cell. The regulation of brown adipocyte function and beigeing of white adipocyte is conside...