Genetic Switch of Obesity Discovered by Scientists

Researchers from the King's College London and the University of Oxford discovered the genes linked to the obesity. Fat plays an essential role in persons' vulnerability to metabolic diseases such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease. A team of researchers have found that a gene associated to cholesterol levels and type 2 diabetes is actually a 'master regulator' gene, which controls the activities of other genes that present within fat in the body.

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Obesity-related illnesses already account for nearly 10 % of medical expenditure in the United States; an anticipated $147 billion a year. Type II diabetes which is often related to lack of exercise and poor diet is also getting epidemic levels worldwide as rates of obesity increase. Scientists have discovered a gene named KLF14 as being connected to type 2 diabetes and cholesterol levels. This single regulator of distant fat genes controls the behavior of other genes.

More than 20,000 genes were analyzed by spector's team and they discovered a link among the KLF14 gene and the levels of many other distant genes that present in fat tissue. The study is published in the journal Nature Genetics. The KLF14 gene was already known to be connected with type 2 diabetes and cholesterol levels, however until now how it did this and the role played by it to control other genes positioned further away on the genome was unidentified.