William Atkins
Saturday, 29 November 2008 20:44
Science -
Biology
Page 1 of 2
According to a German-led research study, four genes were found that control the rate at which humans burn food, what is called their metabolic rate. Their discovery is likely to help doctors better diagnosis and treat medical problems such as obesity, heart disease, and diabetes.
Dr.
Karsten Suhre, from the Helmholtz Center in Munich, Germany, led the research study.
Dr. Suhre’s team studied 284 male human subjects. They scanned their genes and ultimately found that four genes (FADS1, LIPC, SCAD, and MCAD) contributed to differing rates of metabolism in humans.
FADS1 is short for
fatty acid desaturase 1. The protein encoded by this gene is a member of the fatty acid desaturase (FADS) gene family, whose enzymes regulate unsaturation of fatty acids.
LIPC is the abbreviation for
lipase, hepatic. It is a type of lipase (water-soluable enzyme within water-insoluble lipid substrates), which functions in the liver and adrenal glands.
SCAD is the abbreviation for
short-chain acyl-coenzyme A (CoA) dehydrogenase. It is an enzyme that catalyzes the initial reaction in short-chain fatty acid β-oxidation.
MCAD is short for
medium-chain acyl-coenzyme A (CoA) dehydrogenase. Similar to SCAD, a deficiency in MCAD leads to a fatty acid oxidation disorder that is linked to problems of metabolism.
The researchers stated in the abstract to their paper, “
We found associations of frequent single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with considerable differences in the metabolic homeostasis of the human body, explaining up to 12% of the observed variance. Using ratios of certain metabolite concentrations as a proxy for enzymatic activity, up to 28% of the variance can be explained …."
This important medical research study will help scientists better understand how the human body works. Medically, it will provide in the future better means to maintain the health and prevent diseases in humans.
Please read on.
