What obesity research tells us about epigenetic mechanisms

摘要

The pathophysiology of obesity is extremely complex and is associated with extensive gene expression changes in tissues throughout the body. This situ ation, combined with the fact that all gene expression changes are thought to have associated epigenetic changes, moans that the links between obesity and epigenetics will undoubtedly be vast. Mucin progress in identifying epi-gcnctic changes induced by (or inducing) obesity has already been made, with candidate and genome-wide approaches. These discoveries will aid the clinician through increasing our understanding of the inheritarice devel-opment and treatment of obesity: However/they are also of great value for epigenetic rcscarchers, as they have revealed: mcchanisms of environmental ihteractions-with epigenetics that can produce-or perpetuate a disease state Here, we will review the evidence for four mechanisms through which epigenetics contributes to obesity: as downstream effectors of environmen tal signals; through abnormal global epigenetic state driving obesogenic expression patterns; through facilitating developmental programming and through transgenerational epigenetic inheritance.