Identification of rare loss of function genetic variation regulating body fat distribution
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Authors
Koprulu, Mine
Wheeler, E
Dong, L
Rocha, N
Li, C
Griffin, JD
Patel, S
Van de Streek, M
Glastonbury, CA
Stewart, Isobel
Bowker, N
Wittemans, LBL
Kerrison, ND
Cai, L
Lucarelli, DME
Barroso, I
McCarthy, MI
Scott, RA
Saudek, V
Small, KS
Semple, RK
O'Rahilly, S
Lotta, LA
Journal Title
Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism
ISSN
0021-972X
Publisher
Endocrine Society
Type
Article
This Version
AM
Metadata
Show full item recordCitation
Koprulu, M., Zhao, Y., Wheeler, E., Dong, L., Rocha, N., Li, C., Griffin, J., et al. Identification of rare loss of function genetic variation regulating body fat distribution. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.78709
Abstract
Context: Biological and translational insights from large-scale, array-based genetic studies of fat distribution, a key determinant of metabolic health, have been limited by the difficulty in linking predominantly non-coding variants to specific gene targets. Rare coding variant analyses provide greater confidence that a specific gene is involved, but do not necessarily indicate whether gain or loss-of-function (LoF) would be of most therapeutic benefit.
Objective, Design and Setting: To identify genes/proteins involved in determining fat distribution, we combined the power of genome-wide analysis of array-based rare, non-synonymous variants in 450,562 individuals of UK Biobank with exome-sequence-based rare loss of function gene burden testing in 184,246 individuals.
Results: The data indicates that loss-of-function of four genes (PLIN1 [LoF variants, p=5.86×10-7], INSR [LoF variants, p=6.21×10-7], ACVR1C [LoF + Moderate impact variants, p=1.68×10-7; Moderate impact variants, p=4.57×10-7] and PDE3B [LoF variants, p=1.41×10-6]) is associated with a beneficial impact on WHRadjBMI and increased gluteofemoral fat mass, whereas LoF of PLIN4 [LoF variants, p=5.86×10-7] adversely affects these parameters. Phenotypic follow-up suggests that LoF of PLIN1, PDE3B and ACVR1C favourably affects metabolic phenotypes (e.g. triglyceride [TG] and HDL cholesterol concentrations) and reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, whereas PLIN4 LoF has adverse health consequences. INSR LoF is associated with lower TG and HDL levels but may increase the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Conclusion: This study robustly implicates these genes in the regulation of fat distribution, providing new and in some cases somewhat counter-intuitive insight into the potential consequences of targeting these molecules therapeutically.
Sponsorship
This study was funded by the United Kingdom’s Medical Research Council through grants MC_UU_12015/1, MC_PC_13046, MC_PC_13048 and MR/L00002/1. This work was supported by the MRC Metabolic Diseases Unit (MC_UU_12012/5) and the Cambridge NIHR Biomedical Research Centre and EU/EFPIA Innovative Medicines Initiative Joint Undertaking (EMIF grant: 115372). R.K.S, D.B.S. and S.O’R. are supported by the Wellcome Trust (WT 210752, WT 219417 and WT 214274 respectively) the MRC Metabolic Disease Unit, the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre and the NIHR Rare Disease Translational Research Collaboration. L.B.L.W. is supported by Sir Henry Wellcome grant 221651/Z/20/Z. I.B. acknowledges funding from an “Expanding excellence in England” award from Research England. K.S.S. is supported by MRC Project Grant L01999X/1. Some computation was enabled through access granted to K.S.S. to the MRC eMedLab Medical Bioinformatics infrastructure, supported by the Medical Research Council (grant number MR/L016311/1). M.McC. is a Wellcome Senior Investigator supported by Wellcome grants 098381, 090532, 106130, 203141. M.McC. declares that the views expressed in this article are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NHS, the NIHR, or the Department of Health. M.K. is supported by the Gates Cambridge Trust.
Funder references
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CUH) (146281)
Wellcome Trust (219417/Z/19/Z)
MRC (MC_UU_00006/1)
MRC (MC_PC_13048)
MRC (MC_PC_13046)
Medical Research Council (MC_UU_12015/2)
Embargo Lift Date
2024-12-07
Identifiers
This record's DOI: https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.78709
This record's URL: https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/331263
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