Gad2 Identified as Candidate Gene for Obesity

“GAD2 Identified as Candidate Gene for Obesity” Summary

Obesity is a very hard condition to link to one specific gene because it often runs in families, but their lifestyle habits, as well as genes, contribute to obesity. Also, many genes contribute a small effect to obesity and may differ in different populations. Nuclear families in France were studied to link a candidate gene for obesity by Philippe Froguel and his colleagues. There are many variations in genes from person to person that affect from appearances to diseases, and in most cases of obesity, it is influenced by many genes. Froguel previously linked a region of chromosome 10 and obesity. The GAD2 gene also turned up frequently. GAD2 codes for an enzyme that catalyzes a neurotransmitter to be made that interacts with a neuropeptide that helps stimulate appetite. When screening the subjects and the controls for the GAD2 alleles in the study, Froguel identified one group of alleles as “protective” against obesity. Another group of alleles were identified as “at-risk.” It was supported by the genetic screenings of the nuclear families in the study. Obese individuals with two copies of an “at-risk” allele had more difficulty controlling food intake when compared to the control subjects. It was then hypothesized that an over expression of the GAD2 gene may increase the amount of GABA, a neurotransmitter, in the