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Identification of Rare Loss-of-Function Genetic Variation Regulating Body Fat Distribution.

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Peer-reviewed

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Article

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Authors

Zhao, Yajie 
Wheeler, Eleanor 
Dong, Liang 
Rocha, Nuno 

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 noncoding 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: This work aimed to identify genes/proteins involved in determining fat distribution. METHODS: We combined the power of genome-wide analysis of array-based rare, nonsynonymous variants in 450 562 individuals in the UK Biobank with exome-sequence-based rare LoF gene burden testing in 184 246 individuals. RESULTS: The data indicate that the LoF of 4 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 effect on body mass index-adjusted waist-to-hip ratio 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 favorably affects metabolic phenotypes (eg, triglycerides [TGs] and high-density lipoprotein [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 counterintuitive insight into the potential consequences of targeting these molecules therapeutically.

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Keywords

UK Biobank, cardiometabolic risk, fat distribution, genetic variants, loss of function, Activin Receptors, Type I, Body Fat Distribution, Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2, Exome, Genetic Variation, Genome-Wide Association Study, Humans

Journal Title

J Clin Endocrinol Metab

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

0021-972X
1945-7197

Volume Title

Publisher

The Endocrine Society
Sponsorship
Medical Research Council (MC_UU_12015/1)
MRC (MC_UU_00006/1)
MRC (MC_UU_00006/2)
Medical Research Council (MC_UU_12015/2)
Medical Research Council (MC_UU_12012/5)
Wellcome Trust (214274/Z/18/Z)
Medical Research Council (MR/L016311/1)
MRC (MC_UU_00014/5)
MRC (MC_PC_13048)
MRC (MC_PC_13046)
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CUH) (146281)
Wellcome Trust (219417/Z/19/Z)
Medical Research Council (MC_PC_12012)
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.