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FTO Gene, Obesity, visual food perception, morphological classification
Abstract:
Variations in the fat mass and obesity associated (FTO) gene are
currently the strongest knowngenetic factor predisposing humans to
non-monogenic obesity. Recent experiments have linked these variants to
a broad spectrum of behavioural alterations, including food choice and
substance abuse. Yet, the underlying neurobiological mechanisms by which
these genetic variations influence body weight remain elusive.
Here, we explore the brain structural substrate of the
obesity-predisposing rs9939609 T/A variant of the FTO gene in non-obese
subjects bymeans ofmultivariate classification and use fMRI to
investigate genotype-specific differences in neural food-cue reactivity
by analysing correlates of a visual food perception task. Our findings
demonstrate that MRI-derived measures of morphology along middle and
posterior fusiform gyrus (FFG) are highly predictive for FTO at-risk
allele carriers, who also show enhanced neural responses elicited by
food cues in the same posterior FFG area. In brief, these findings
provide first-time evidence for FTO-specific differences in both brain
structure and function already in non-obese individuals, thereby
contributing to amechanistic understanding of why FTO is a predisposing
factor for obesity. (C) 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
