A gene that helps to control inflammation increases the risk of obesity and could be turned off in mice to stop weight gain, a study has found.
"We found small changes in the inflammatory gene RIPK1 in the obese people, and these variations caused an increased amount of the gene being present in their fat tissue, increasing their risk of being obese," the senior author said.
"RIPK1 is essential for a healthy immune response, but it also causes hyper-inflammation when it 'goes rogue'.
"By finding an increased amount of inflammation in obese people, we can confidently say that obesity increases inflammation."
The authors show that genetic polymorphisms near the human RIPK1 locus associate with increased RIPK1 gene expression and obesity. They show that one of these single nucleotide polymorphisms is within a binding site for E4BP4 and increases RIPK1 promoter activity and RIPK1 gene expression in adipose tissue.
The researchers then looked at the effect of turning the inflammatory gene on and off in mice. Therapeutic silencing of RIPK1 in vivo in a mouse model of diet-induced obesity dramatically reduces fat mass, total body weight and improves insulin sensitivity, while simultaneously reducing macrophage and promoting invariant natural killer T cell accumulation in adipose tissue.
The mice with a normal level of the inflammatory gene put on weight from eating the same high-fat diet.
More than half the 2000 participants were extremely obese with an average Body Max Index of 41 and half were a healthy weight.
The author said said that when stores exceeded healthy levels, the fat tissue became overwhelmed, cells died and the immune system was activated. "In obesity, the immune cells are working in overdrive, causing damaging inflammation when they don't switch off," the author said. "By understanding more about these inflammation pathways, we can find ways to intervene to treat obesity, especially in specific groups of people.
"These variations in the RIPK1 gene only occur in 8 to 12 per cent of the population - so maybe these are the people who struggle to lose weight despite doing all the right things."
https://www.uq.edu.au/news/article/2020/09/inflammatory-gene-provides-clue-obesity-risk
https://www.nature.com/articles/s42255-020-00279-2
Inflammatory gene implicated in obesity risk
- 1,894 views
- Added
Edited
Latest News
Microfluidic systems resemb…
By newseditor
Posted 11 May
Neurotransmitter classifica…
By newseditor
Posted 11 May
Uncovering the secret of lo…
By newseditor
Posted 10 May
A cubic-millimeter fragment…
By newseditor
Posted 10 May
mtDNA transcription Inhibit…
By newseditor
Posted 09 May
Other Top Stories
Molecular landscapes of human hippocampal immature neurons across l…
Read more
DNA recombinations are implicated in both development and disease
Read more
Molecular signatures of age-related macular degeneration
Read more
Key mechanism controlling skin regeneration
Read more
Hyaluronic acid awakens stem cells to repair damaged muscle
Read more
Protocols
Improved detection of DNA r…
By newseditor
Posted 09 May
Single-cell adhesive profil…
By newseditor
Posted 07 May
Parasympathetic neurons der…
By newseditor
Posted 07 May
Non-invasive measurements o…
By newseditor
Posted 05 May
A validation strategy to as…
By newseditor
Posted 04 May
Publications
Vascular network-inspired f…
By newseditor
Posted 11 May
Neurotransmitter classifica…
By newseditor
Posted 11 May
Forward programming human p…
By newseditor
Posted 10 May
Cyclophilin A supports tran…
By newseditor
Posted 10 May
Sortases: structure, mechan…
By newseditor
Posted 10 May
Presentations
Hydrogels in Drug Delivery
By newseditor
Posted 12 Apr
Lipids
By newseditor
Posted 31 Dec
Cell biology of carbohydrat…
By newseditor
Posted 29 Nov
RNA interference (RNAi)
By newseditor
Posted 23 Oct
RNA structure and functions
By newseditor
Posted 19 Oct
Posters
A chemical biology/modular…
By newseditor
Posted 22 Aug
Single-molecule covalent ma…
By newseditor
Posted 04 Jul
ASCO-2020-HEALTH SERVICES R…
By newseditor
Posted 23 Mar
ASCO-2020-HEAD AND NECK CANCER
By newseditor
Posted 23 Mar
ASCO-2020-GENITOURINARY CAN…
By newseditor
Posted 23 Mar