Expression Studies of the Obesity Candidate GeneFTOin Pig

Abstract

Obesity is an increasing problem worldwide and research on candidate genes in good animal models is highly needed. The pig is an excellent model as its metabolism, organ size, and eating habits resemble that of humans. The present study is focused on the characterization of the fat mass and obesity associated gene (FTO) in pig. This gene has recently been associated with increased body mass index in several human populations. To establish information on the expression profile of FTO in the pig we performed quantitative PCR in a panel of adult pig tissues and in tissues sampled at different developmental stages. Expression of the FTO transcript was detected in all tissues tested with significantly higher levels in brain tissues (cortex, cerebellum, and hippocampus; P < 0.001). These levels varied through the development and between the specific parts of the brain studied (i.e., frontal cortex and cerebellum). Additionally, in order to see the involvement of the FTO gene in obesity, the changes in expression level were investigated in a nutritional study in brain of Gottingen minipigs under a high cholesterol diet. Significantly higher (P < 0.01) levels of FTO transcript were found in cortex when compared with cerebellum of the high-cholesterol fed pigs. Furthermore, SNPs were investigated in the coding sequence of the FTO in the Gottingen minipig and in the Danish commercial pig. Eleven synonymous SNPs and a two bp insertion were found between the two pig lines.

Variation in sequence and expression of the avian FTO, and association with glucose metabolism, body weight, fatness and body composition in chickens

“…The levels of FTO transcript in the cerebellum of high-cholesterol fed pigs were significantly higher than the controls. 39 Also, in human and rat, FTO had the nearly high expression in the cerebellum and hypothalamus. 37 The large impact of fasting and high-glucose/fat diets on cFTO1 and PGC1a expression strongly suggest a role of FTO in glucose and energy metabolism in the chicken.…”

Effects of breed, postnatal development, and nutrition on mRNA expression of the FTO gene in porcine muscle and its relationship with intramuscular fat deposition

“…Previous studies (Huang et al, 2010;Madsen et al, 2010) showed the FTO mRNA could be expressed in most pig tissues, including muscle. In our study, different breeds showed different patterns of FTO mRNA expression in longissimus dorsi muscle tissue.…”

“…Although previous studies have investigated FTO mRNA expression in the brain and adipose tissue, few papers have reported FTO expression characteristics in porcine muscle (Huang et al, 2010;Madsen et al, 2010). In humans, FTO mRNA expression in skeletal muscle has been demonstrated to be regulated by both age and sex, and is negatively correlated with fat deposition (Klöting et al, 2008;Grunnet et al, 2009).…”

Tissue- and breed-specific expression of the chicken fat mass- and obesity-associated gene (FTO)

“…In mammals, FTO expression has been detected in hypothalamus adipose tissue and the liver (Fredriksson et al, 2008;Stratigopoulos et al, 2008;Madsen et al, 2010). In the rat, fasting reduces levels of FTO mRNA in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus, a site where FTO expression is particularly high (Tung et al, 2010).…”