"Skinny gene" does exist

A single gene that might control whether or not individuals tend to pile on fat has been found, a discovery that may point to new ways to fight obesity and diabetes, indicate researchers from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas.

"From worms to mammals, this gene controls fat formation," asserts Jonathan Graff, associate professor of developmental biology and internal medicine. "It could explain why so many people struggle to lose weight and suggests an entirely new direction for developing medical treatments that address the current epidemic of diabetes and obesity. People who want to fit into their jeans might someday be able to overcome their genes."

The gene, called adipose, was discovered in fat fruit flies more than 50 years ago by a graduate student at Yale University, but few people knew about it. Its mechanism was unknown, and whether it was important in other genes was a mystery. In the current study, scientists examined how adipose works by analyzing fruit flies, tiny worms called C. elegans, cultured cells, and genetically engineered mice, as well as by exploiting sophisticated molecular techniques. Using several methods, they manipulated adipose in the various animals, turning the gene on and off at different stages in the animals' lives and in various parts of their bodies. It was discovered that the gene, which also is present in humans, is likely to be a high-level master switch that tells the body whether to accumulate or burn fat.

"This is good news for potential obesity treatments, because it's like a volume control instead of a light switch; it can be turned up or down, not just on or oft," Graft points out. "Eventually, of course, the idea is to develop drugs to target this system, but that's in the years to come."

The genetic mechanism makes survival sense, he points out, because if a population has many versions of the gene scattered among a number of different individuals, at least some will survive in different conditions. For instance, a fat fruit fly may be able to survive famine, but a sleeker model might be better at evading predators.

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