By Cho Jin-seo
Staff Reporter
A Texas research team including a Korean scientist has found a gene that controls the accumulation of body fat in various types of animals, a discovery that could lead to new ways of fighting obesity and diabetes.
The researchers at the University of Texas discovered the gene that is responsible for triggering whether to fat is stored or burned. The result is to be published on the September edition of Cell Metabolism, an internationally recognized science journal.
``We have found how the gene in the adipose performs in various types of animals such as fruit flies, mice and parasites,'' said Suh Jae-myoung, the Korean member of the team. ``When we reduced its expression in a mouse, its body fat increased. When we increased it, the body fat decreased and its weight and blood sugar level were better controlled.''
Worldwide, there are an estimated 300 million people suffering from obesity, with the condition also linked to heart disease, diabetes and premature death. In the United States, 32 percent of the population is considered obese, he said.
There has been extensive research into the link between genes and obesity. Most previous research focused on the genes' effects on the desire to eat, Suh said, while the adipose gene is involved in the fat accumulation process itself.
The gene was first discovered in overweight fruit flies more than 50 years ago. At the time of its discovery, the gene's role in the body was a mystery. If it works similarly in humans, the findings could lead to a new weapon to control our burgeoning waistlines, according to researchers.
Suh, 36, is a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Texas, Southwestern. He graduated from Yonsei University in Seoul and is a son of Grand National Party lawmaker Suh Sang-ki.
Jonathan Graff, professor of developmental biology and internal medicine at the school, led the research.