Role of the DGAT gene C79T single-nucleotide polymorphism in French obese subjects.

Acyl-coenzyme A, diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT), is a key enzyme involved in adipose-cell triglyceride storage. A 79-bp T-to-C single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) on the 3' region of the DGAT transcriptional site has been reported to increase promoter activity and is associated with higher BMI in Turkish women. To validate the possible role of this genetic variant in obesity, as well as the variant's possible cellular-functional significance, we performed an association study between the T79C change and several obesity-related phenotypes in 1357 obese French adults and children.

Positional candidate gene analysis of Lim domain homeobox gene (Isl-1) on chromosome 5q11-q13 in a French morbidly obese population suggests indication for association with type 2 diabetes.

The Lim domain homeobox gene (Isl-1) is a positional candidate gene for obesity that maps on chromosome 5q11-q13, a locus linked to BMI and leptin levels in French Caucasians. Isl-1 might be involved in body weight regulation and glucose homeostasis via the activation of proglucagon gene expression, which encodes for glucagon and glucagon-like peptides. By mutation screening of 72 obese subjects, we identified three single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the Isl1 gene.