Child's risk of obesity influenced by changes in genes
Article

Child's risk of obesity influenced by changes in genes

Public health
5 min read

A child's risk of obesity as they grow up can be influenced by modifications to their DNA prior to birth, a new University of Southampton study has shown. These changes, known as epigenetic modifications, control the activity of our genes without changing the actual DNA sequence. One of the main epigenetic modifications is DNA methylation, which plays a key role in the development of the embryo and the formation of different cell types, regulating when and where genes are switched on.

Reference

Differential SLC6A4 methylation: a predictive epigenetic marker of adiposity from birth to adulthood Karen A. Lillycrop, Emma S. Garratt, Philip Titcombe, Phillip E. Melton, Robert J. S. Murray, Sheila J. Barton, Rebecca Clarke-Harris, Paula M. Costello, Joanna D. Holbrook, James C. Hopkins, Caroline E. Childs, Carolina Paras-Chavez, Philip C. Calder, Trevor A. Mori, Lawrie Beilin, Graham C. Burdge, Peter D. Gluckman, Hazel M. Inskip, Nicholas C. Harvey, Mark A. Hanson, Rae-Chi Huang, Cyrus Cooper, EpiGen Consortium & Keith M. Godfrey International Journal of Obesity (2019) - Link

Links: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2019-02-child-obesity-genes.html

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