Skip to main content

Genetic

Genetic drive to overeat found in labradors and humans


Dogs that are constantly hungry and prone to being overweight share a common bit of biology with some obesity-prone humans. This is what UK scientists have discovered - identifying a genetic source of many labradors' - and some people's - tendency to overeat.

Researchers found that changes in a particular gene, one of the building blocks of biological code that produces the blueprint for how our bodies work, alters the chemical signals that tell our brains we've had enough to eat. The scientists say their findings, published in the journal Science, reveal something "powerful" about the biology of obesity risk.

"By studying dogs, we've honed in on some interesting new biology here," explained lead researcher Dr Eleanor Raffan from the University of Cambridge's department of physiology, development and neuroscience. She added that the discovery showed that "owners of slim dogs are not morally superior - and the same is true of slim people".

"If you have a high genetic risk of obesity, you're prone to gaining weight unless you put a huge effort into not doing so. And those with low genetic risk just don't have to work so hard."This canine-human biological link came from the researchers' examination of the genetics of 250 labradors. The team looked for pieces of genetic code that were common in overweight dogs.

They picked out one gene in particular - called DENND1B - that was associated with a higher body mass in the labradors. And when they searched through a library of genetic information from thousands of humans, they discovered that the same gene was associated with a higher body mass in people, too.

Before this study of labrador genetics, Dr Raffan said, "no one suspected that gene had anything to do with obesity". The gene interferes with a brain signalling pathway that helps regulate our appetite. Dr Raffan explained: "It alters the predisposition to weight gain because it's tweaking a system that is involved in regulating how hungry we feel and how much energy we burn off."

The findings could help in the future development of new drugs to tackle obesity. But the scientists say they reveal how much harder people - and owners of dogs - with this genetic predisposition have to work to offset its effects. Another member of the research team, Alyce McClellan, from Cambridge University added that the results emphasised "the importance of fundamental brain pathways in controlling appetite and body weight".

The discovery adds to a developing picture of those pathways and the biological driving forces behind overeating. A group of weight loss drugs, that includes Ozempic, target some of this biology, and have exploded in popularity in recent years. What we've identified here is a different pathway [from the one targeted by those drugs]," explained Dr Raffan. "But it all speaks to the same important bit of biology, which is that obesity is not about having low willpower.

"It's about the fact that some people are prone to weight gain because they have a genetic risk which increases their responsiveness to food and their appetite. "This goes for dogs and humans alike - they have a genetic drive to overeat." 

Genetic predisposition, obesity, Labrador retrievers, human genetics, POMC gene, appetite regulation, overeating behavior, metabolic disorders, energy balance, food motivation, satiety signals, inherited traits, canine obesity, weight management, evolutionary adaptation, pet health, dietary control, genetic mutation, body mass index, hunger hormones,

#GeneticDrive #Overeating #LabradorRetrievers #HumanGenetics #POMCGene #AppetiteRegulation #ObesityResearch #MetabolicDisorders #FoodMotivation #SatietySignals #InheritedTraits #CanineObesity #WeightManagement #EvolutionaryAdaptation #PetHealth #DietaryControl #GeneticMutation #BodyMassIndex #HungerHormones #HealthScience

International Conference on Genetics and Genomics of Diseases

Visit: genetics-conferences.healthcarek.com

Award Nomination: genetics-conferences.healthcarek.com/award-nomination/?ecategory=Awards&rcategory=Awardee

Award registration: genetics-conferences.healthcarek.com/award-registration/

For Enquiries: contact@healthcarek.com

Get Connected Here
---------------------------------
---------------------------------
in.pinterest.com/Dorita0211
twitter.com/Dorita_02_11_
facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555903296992
instagram.com/p/C4ukfcOsK36
genetics-awards.blogspot.com/
youtube.com/@GeneticsHealthcare

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Chromosomal Abnormalities

  Chromosomal Abnormalities Chromosome abnormalities refer to structural or numerical changes in chromosomes that can disrupt normal genetic function, leading to developmental disorders, congenital abnormalities, and various genetic diseases. These abnormalities may arise from errors in cell division, such as nondisjunction or chromosomal breakage, resulting in conditions like Down syndrome , Turner syndrome, Klinefelter syndrome , and various deletion or duplication syndromes. Understanding chromosome abnormalities is essential for genetic counseling, prenatal diagnosis, disease risk assessment, and research in cytogenetics and molecular genetics. Chromosome abnormalities, chromosomal disorders, chromosomal mutations, aneuploidy, structural chromosome abnormalities, nondisjunction, deletion syndrome, duplication syndrome , translocation, inversion, cytogenetics, karyotyping, prenatal diagnosis , genetic testing, genomic instability, Down syndrome, Turner syndrome, Klinefelter syn...
Post a Comment
Read more

Multifactorial Genetic Conditions

Multifactorial Genetic Conditions Multifactorial genetic conditions are disorders caused by the combined effects of multiple genes and environmental factors , rather than a single gene mutation . These conditions do not follow classic Mendelian inheritance patterns and instead result from complex gene–environment interactions . Factors such as lifestyle, nutrition, infections, stress, and exposure to toxins can significantly influence disease onset and severity in genetically susceptible individuals. Common examples include diabetes, cardiovascular diseases , neural tube defects, asthma, and many neuropsychiatric disorders. Understanding multifactorial inheritance is essential for risk prediction, preventive medicine, and personalized healthcare strategies. Multifactorial inheritance, polygenic traits, gene–environment interaction, complex diseases, genetic susceptibility, environmental risk factors, non-Mendelian inheritance, disease predisposition, polygenic risk score, precision ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Human Brain Organoids

Human Brain Organoids Model Abnormal Prenatal Neural Development Induced by Thermal Stimulation The developing human foetal brain is sensitive to thermal stimulation during pregnancy. However, the mechanisms by which heat exposure affects human foetal brain development remain unclear, largely due to the lack of appropriate research models for studying thermal stimulation. To address this, we have developed a periodic heating model based on brain organoids derived from human pluripotent stem cells. The model recapitulated neurodevelopmental disruptions under prenatal heat exposure at the early stages, providing a paradigm for studying the altered neurodevelopment under environmental stimulation. Our study found that periodic heat exposure led to decreased size and impaired neural tube development in the brain organoids. Bulk RNA-seq analysis revealed that the abnormal WNT signalling pathway and the reduction of G2/M progenitor cells might be involved in heat stimulation. Further investi...
Post a Comment
Read more