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Obesity linked to carbohydrate breakdown gene
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A gene associated with salivary breakdown of carbohydrates was shown to be associated with an eightfold increase in risk for obesity, according to research published in Nature Genetics.
Researchers investigated the gene dosage relationship with adiposity by studying copy number variants in gene expression after identifying a relationship between the AMY1 salivary amylase and AMY2 pancreatic amylase genes with increased adiposity in a study group of 149 Swedish families. The findings were replicated in 6,200 participants from groups of varied ethnicities, including French, Chinese and U.K. populations.
A multifactorial liability threshold model was used to show that copy number variation may account for 2.47% to 19.86% of the total genetic variation for obesity.
“While studies to date have mainly found small effect genes that alter eating behavior, we discovered how the digestive ‘tools’ in your metabolism vary between people — and the genes coding for these — can have a large influence on your weight,” Tim Spector, MB, MSc, MD, FRCP, head of the department of Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology at King’s College London, said in a press release. “The next step is to find out more about the activity of this digestive enzyme, and whether this might prove a useful biomarker or target for the treatment of obesity.”
Disclosure: This study was supported by grants from the Wellcome Trust, the Medical Research Council, and other government and research entities. The researchers report no relevant financial relationships.
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