MTCH2 in Human White Adipose Tissue and Obesity

Context: Genome-wide association studies have identified single-nucleotide polymorphisms in approximately 40 loci associated with obesity-related traits. How these loci regulate obesity is largely unknown. One obesity-associated single-nucleotide polymorphism is close to the MTCH2 gene (mitochondrial carrier homolog 2). Objective: The objective of the study was to assess the expression of genes in obesity-associated loci in abdominal sc white adipose tissue (scWAT) in relation to obesity. A more comprehensive expression study was performed on MTCH2. Design: mRNA levels of 66 genes from 40 loci were determined by microarray in scWAT from lean and obese women (n = 30). MTCH2 mRNA was measured by quantitative RT-PCR in lean and obese before and after weight loss in intact adipose pieces and isolated adipocytes, paired samples of scWAT and omental WAT, and primary adipocyte cultures (n = 191 subjects in total). MTCH2 genotypes were compared with mRNA expression in 96 women. MTCH2 protein was examined in scWAT...