Genetics of Body Fat Distribution: Comparative Analyses in Populations with European, Asian and African Ancestries

• Main Authors: Chang Sun, Peter Kovacs, Esther Guiu-Jurado
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-05-01
• Series: Genes
• Subjects: body fat distribution; genetics; GWAS
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/12/6/841

Preferential fat accumulation in visceral vs. subcutaneous depots makes obese individuals more prone to metabolic complications. Body fat distribution (FD) is regulated by genetics. FD patterns vary across ethnic groups independent of obesity. Asians have more and Africans have less visceral fat compared with Europeans. Consequently, Asians tend to be more susceptible to type 2 diabetes even with lower BMIs when compared with Europeans. To date, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified more than 460 loci related to FD traits. However, the majority of these data were generated in European populations. In this review, we aimed to summarize recent advances in FD genetics with a focus on comparisons between European and non-European populations (Asians and Africans). We therefore not only compared FD-related susceptibility loci identified in three ethnicities but also discussed whether known genetic variants might explain the FD pattern heterogeneity across different ancestries. Moreover, we describe several novel candidate genes potentially regulating FD, including <i>NID2</i>, <i>HECTD4</i> and <i>GNAS,</i> identified in studies with Asian populations. It is of note that in agreement with current knowledge, most of the proposed FD candidate genes found in Asians belong to the group of developmental genes.