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Genetics of Obesity
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Genetics of Obesity

A special issue of Genes (ISSN 2073-4425). This special issue belongs to the section "Human Genomics and Genetic Diseases".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 May 2024 | Viewed by 4100

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Thangiah Geetha

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Hospitality Management, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
Interests: childhood obesity; disparity; genetics; non-invasive biomarkers; microbiome

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Obesity is a major public health problem. Obesity increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, sleep apnea, and a greater risk of social and psychological problems. Obesity is caused by multiple factors, such as genetic, behavioral, environmental, and metabolic. Genetics is shown to impact 40–70% of obesity, and several genes are found to be correlated with obesity. Gene mutations can contribute to obesity in any age. This Special Issue on “Genetics of Obesity” aims to provide an overview of basic, applied, clinical studies, and review articles relating to genetics and obesity.

Dr. Thangiah Geetha
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Genes is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Obesity
  • Overweight
  • Body mass index
  • Body fat
  • Children
  • Genes
  • Copy number variants
  • Epigenetics

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

11 pages, 256 KiB  
Article
Association between MCU Gene Polymorphisms with Obesity: Findings from the All of Us Research Program
by Jade Avery, Tennille Leak-Johnson and Sharon C. Francis
Genes 2024, 15(4), 512; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes15040512 - 19 Apr 2024
Viewed by 414
Abstract
Obesity is a public health crisis, and its prevalence disproportionately affects African Americans in the United States. Dysregulation of organelle calcium homeostasis is associated with obesity. The mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU) complex is primarily responsible for mitochondrial calcium homeostasis. Obesity is [...] Read more.
Obesity is a public health crisis, and its prevalence disproportionately affects African Americans in the United States. Dysregulation of organelle calcium homeostasis is associated with obesity. The mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU) complex is primarily responsible for mitochondrial calcium homeostasis. Obesity is a multifactorial disease in which genetic underpinnings such as single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) may contribute to disease progression. The objective of this study was to identify genetic variations of MCU with anthropometric measurements and obesity in the All of Us Research Program. Methods: We used an additive genetic model to assess the association between obesity traits (body mass index (BMI), waist and hip circumference) and selected MCU SNPs in 19,325 participants (3221 normal weight and 16,104 obese). Eleven common MCU SNPs with a minor allele frequency ≥ 5% were used for analysis. Results: We observed three MCU SNPs in self-reported Black/African American (B/AA) men, and six MCU SNPs in B/AA women associated with increased risk of obesity, whereas six MCU SNPs in White men, and nine MCU SNPs in White women were protective against obesity development. Conclusions: This study found associations of MCU SNPs with obesity, providing evidence of a potential predictor of obesity susceptibility in B/AA adults. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genetics of Obesity)
11 pages, 577 KiB  
Article
The Tip of the Iceberg: Genotype of Puerto Rican Pediatric Obesity
by Jesus M. Melendez-Montañez and Wilfredo De Jesus-Rojas
Genes 2024, 15(4), 394; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes15040394 - 22 Mar 2024
Viewed by 702
Abstract
Childhood obesity is a significant public health concern, particularly among Hispanic populations. This study aimed to elucidate the genetic predisposition to obesity in Puerto Rican children of Hispanic descent, addressing a notable gap in existing research. A cohort of 103 children with obesity [...] Read more.
Childhood obesity is a significant public health concern, particularly among Hispanic populations. This study aimed to elucidate the genetic predisposition to obesity in Puerto Rican children of Hispanic descent, addressing a notable gap in existing research. A cohort of 103 children with obesity and hyperphagia underwent genetic screening for rare obesity-related variants. Clinical assessments and family history evaluations were conducted to characterize the demographic and clinical characteristics of the cohort. Genetic testing revealed a high prevalence of variants, with 73% of subjects having at least one reported variant. Pathogenic variants, predominantly associated with obesity-related ciliopathies, were identified in 7% of cases. Additionally, 90% of cases had variants of uncertain significance, highlighting the complexity of genetic contributions to obesity. This study emphasizes the critical need for further investigation into the genetic foundations of obesity, particularly within Hispanic communities. The findings emphasize the importance of early medical evaluation, vigilant monitoring for hyperphagia onset, and targeted interventions tailored to the unique genetic landscape of Puerto Rican children. This research provides a foundational framework for future studies to mitigate the impact of genetic obesity within this population. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genetics of Obesity)
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11 pages, 249 KiB  
Article
Interaction Effects of FTO and MC4R Polymorphisms on Total Body Weight Loss, Post-Surgery Weight, and Post-Body Mass Index after Bariatric Surgery
by Elva Perez-Luque, Edgar S. Daza-Hernandez, Nicte Figueroa-Vega, Monica I. Cardona-Alvarado, Norberto Muñoz-Montes and Claudia Martinez-Cordero
Genes 2024, 15(4), 391; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes15040391 - 22 Mar 2024
Viewed by 638
Abstract
Bariatric surgery (BS) is considered the most effective intervention for patients with severe obesity and is used to maintain long-term weight loss and glycemic control. The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of genotypes and haplotypes of the fat mass [...] Read more.
Bariatric surgery (BS) is considered the most effective intervention for patients with severe obesity and is used to maintain long-term weight loss and glycemic control. The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of genotypes and haplotypes of the fat mass and obesity-associated (FTO) and melanocortin 4 receptor (MC4R) genes on total body weight loss (TBWL), post-surgery weight, and post-BMI after bariatric surgery. We retrospectively selected 101 patients from Bajio High Specialty Regional Hospital, León Guanajuato, México, who underwent Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) to determine their body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, biochemical characteristics, and comorbidities. Post-surgery, patients were referred for registered anthropometry and blood pressure. Glucose, lipid and hepatic profiles, and insulin, leptin, and ghrelin levels were measured, and rs9939609, rs9930506, and rs1421085 FTO and rs17782313 MC4R polymorphisms were genotyped. Six (4–8) years after BS, post-surgery weight was greater in carriers of the rs9939609 and rs1421085 risk genotypes. TBWL was lower for the rs9930506 and rs1421085 risk genotypes. Insulin and HOMA-IR were greater in patients with the three FTO polymorphisms. There were significant interaction effects of the rs9930506 and rs1421085 FTO risk genotypes on weight and BMI in response to BS. No association was found with the MC4R polymorphism. The genotypes and haplotypes of the FTO gene influence post-surgery weight, TBWL, insulin levels, and HOMA-IR. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genetics of Obesity)
15 pages, 2031 KiB  
Article
Novel Differentially Methylated Regions Identified by Genome-Wide DNA Methylation Analyses Contribute to Racial Disparities in Childhood Obesity
by Priyadarshni Patel, Vaithinathan Selvaraju, Jeganathan Ramesh Babu, Xu Wang and Thangiah Geetha
Genes 2023, 14(5), 1098; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes14051098 - 17 May 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1787
Abstract
The magnitude of the childhood obesity epidemic and its effects on public health has accelerated the pursuit of practical preventative measures. Epigenetics is one subject that holds a lot of promise, despite being relatively new. The study of potentially heritable variations in gene [...] Read more.
The magnitude of the childhood obesity epidemic and its effects on public health has accelerated the pursuit of practical preventative measures. Epigenetics is one subject that holds a lot of promise, despite being relatively new. The study of potentially heritable variations in gene expression that do not require modifications to the underlying DNA sequence is known as epigenetics. Here, we used Illumina MethylationEPIC BeadChip Array to identify differentially methylated regions in DNA isolated from saliva between normal weight (NW) and overweight/obese (OW/OB) children and between European American (EA) and African American (AA) children. A total of 3133 target IDs (associated with 2313 genes) were differentially methylated (p < 0.05) between NW and OW/OB children. In OW/OB children, 792 target IDs were hypermethylated and 2341 were hypomethylated compared to NW. Similarly, in the racial groups EA and AA, a total of 1239 target IDs corresponding to 739 genes were significantly differentially methylated in which 643 target IDs were hypermethylated and 596 were hypomethylated in the AA compared to EA participants. Along with this, the study identified novel genes that could contribute to the epigenetic regulation of childhood obesity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genetics of Obesity)
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