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Diabetologia
Published in: Diabetologia 10/2013

Open Access 01-10-2013 | Review

The biology of FTO: from nucleic acid demethylase to amino acid sensor

Authors: Pawan Gulati, Giles S. H. Yeo

Published in: Diabetologia | Issue 10/2013

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Abstract

Genome-wide association studies have revealed that single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the first intron of the gene encoding fat mass and obesity-associated protein (FTO) are robustly associated with BMI and obesity. Subsequently, this association with body weight, which is replicable across multiple populations and different age groups, has been unequivocally linked to increased food intake. Although evidence from a number of animal models with perturbed FTO expression indicates a role for FTO in energy homeostasis, to date, no conclusive link has been made between the risk alleles and FTO expression or its physiological role. FTO is a nucleic acid demethylase, and a deficiency in FTO leads to a complex phenotype highlighted by postnatal growth retardation, pointing to some fundamental developmental role. Recent emerging data now points to a role for FTO in the sensing of nutrients and the regulation of translation and growth. In this review, we explore the in vivo and in vitro evidence detailing the complex biology of FTO and discuss how these might link to the regulation of body weight.
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Metadata
Title
The biology of FTO: from nucleic acid demethylase to amino acid sensor
Authors
Pawan Gulati
Giles S. H. Yeo
Publication date
01-10-2013
Publisher
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in
Diabetologia / Issue 10/2013
Print ISSN: 0012-186X
Electronic ISSN: 1432-0428
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00125-013-2999-5

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