Fat depot-specific mRNA expression of novel loci associated with waist-hip ratio

Journal article

Objective:We hypothesized that genes within recently identified loci associated with waist-hip ratio (WHR) exhibit fat depot-specific mRNA expression, which correlates with obesity-related traits.Methods:Adipose tissue (AT) mRNA expression of 6 genes (TBX15/WARS2, STAB1, PIGC, ZNRF3 and GRB14) within these loci showing coincident cis-expression quantitative trait loci was measured in 222 paired samples of human visceral (vis) and subcutaneous (sc) AT. The relationship of mRNA expression levels with obesity-related quantitative traits was assessed by Pearson's correlation analyses. Multivariate linear relationships were assessed by generalized linear regression models.Results:Whereas only PIGC, ZNFR3 and STAB1 mRNA expression in sc AT correlated nominally with WHR (P<0.05, adjusted for age and sex), mRNA expression of all studied genes in at least one of the fat depots correlated significantly with vis and/or sc fat area (P ranging from 0.05 to 4.0 × 106, adjusted for age and sex). Consistently, the transcript levels of WARS, PIGC and GRB14 were nominally associated with body mass index (BMI) (P ranging from 0.02 to 9.2 × 105, adjusted for age and sex). Moreover, independent of sex, obesity and diabetes status, differential expression between vis and sc AT was observed for all tested genes (P<0.01). Finally, the rs10195252 T-allele was nominally associated with increased GRB14 sc mRNA expression (P=0.025 after adjusting for age, sex and BMI).Conclusions:Our data including the inter-depot variability of mRNA expression suggests that genes within the WHR-associated loci might be involved in the regulation of fat distribution. © 2014 Macmillan Publishers Limited.

Authors: Schleinitz, D; Kloeting, N; Lindgren, C; Breitfeld, J; Dietrich, A

• Publication status: Published
• Journal: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OBESITY
• Volume: 38
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 120-125
• Publication date: 2014-01-01
• DOI: 10.1038/ijo.2013.56
• EISSN: 1476-5497
• ISSN: 0307-0565
• Language: English
• Keywords: GWAS; fat distribution; gene expression; waist-hip ratio