Monday, February 22, 2016

A coin toss for being fat! -- Interview with Kevin Dalgaard about the role of an epigenetic switch for obesity

Obesity is a growing epidemic in the world. Development of obesity involves environmental factors like eating choices (McDonalds vs. salad) or exercise, and genetic players. But if we were to keep all the variables the same, like two twins being given the same food, would they both end up with the same body shape??

Surprisingly no!

Kevin Dalgaard from Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics and colleagues from around the world show that shows that even if two genetically identical people are given the same food, one might end up being lean and the other fat -- and this 'decision' lies in an epigenetic network on top of which sits Trim28. Trim28 network acts as a coin toss, with chance deciding the network's strength and thereby development of obesity.
To understand this amazing regulation better, we talk with Kevin.


Please read the following article to know more:
Trim28 Haploinsufficiency Triggers Bi-stable Epigenetic Obesity
Dalgaard et al., Cell (2016). Volume 164, Issue 3, p353–364.

You can also a YouTube video explaining the article here: Who am I not?

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