Researchers studying Labrador retrievers in the UK have identified several genes associated with dog obesity and have shown that these genes are also linked to human obesity.
The canine gene that was found to be the most strongly associated with obesity in Labrador is called dennd1b. Humans are also carried
dennd1b gene, and researchers have found that this gene is also associated with obesity in people.
DENND1B has been found to directly affect the brain pathway that regulates the body’s energy balance, known as the leptin-melanocortin pathway.
Four additional genes associated with dog obesity have a smaller effect than dennd1b, but were mapped directly to human genes.
“These genes are not obvious targets of weight loss drugs because they should not interfere with other important biological processes in the body. However, the results highlight the importance of basic brain pathways in controlling appetite and weight,” said Alice McClellan of the Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience at Cambridge University, and the report’s co-first author.
“We found that dogs at high genetic risk for obesity are more interested in food,” said Natalie Wallis, of the Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience at Cambridge University, co-first author of the report.
She added: Dogs at a higher genetic risk for obesity showed signs of a higher appetite, as also shown in people at a higher genetic risk for obesity. ”
This study found that owners with strict control over dog diet and exercise were able to prevent even people at high genetic risk from becoming obese, but require much more attention and effort.
Similarly, people at high genetic risk for developing obesity are more likely to develop weight gain, although not necessarily due to strict diet and exercise regimes.
Like human obesity, there was no single gene that determined whether dogs were prone to obesity. The net effect of multiple genetic mutations was determined whether the dog was at a high or low risk.
The results are published in the journal today Science.
“When you study dogs, there were some really powerful things. Slim dog owners are not morally good. The same applies to slim people. If there is a high genetic risk of obesity, if there is a lot of food available, you tend to gain weight and gain weight unless you put a lot of effort into not doing so.
She added: Human studies find it difficult to study how genetically driven appetite requires a larger will to be slimmer, as one person is affecting. ”
The current human obesity epidemic is reflected by the dog obesity epidemic. Approximately 40-60% of pet dogs are overweight or obese, which can lead to a variety of health issues.
Dogs are a good model for studying obesity in humans. Obesity develops through environmental impacts similar to humans. Dogs within a particular breed have a higher genetic similarity, which makes genes easier to link to disease.
To obtain the results, researchers recruited pet dogs from their owners who measured body fat, gained “greed” and had taken saliva samples of their DNA. They then analyzed the genetics of each dog. By comparing the obesity status of a dog with its DNA, they were able to identify genes associated with obesity in dogs.
The dog carrying the genetic variant most associated with obesity, dennd1b had about 8% more body fat than dogs without it.
The researchers then looked into whether the genes they identified were related to human obesity. They viewed both large population-based studies and a cohort of patients with severe, early onset obesity, where single genetic changes suspected to cause weight gain.
Researchers say owners can avoid distracting from constant hunger by expanding their daily food rations, for example, by using puzzle feeders or sprinkling food around the garden, or by selecting more satisfying nutrient compositions for their pets.
Rafan said: Studying dogs meant that there was a reason for us to concentrate on this particular gene.
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