Genetics of Fat Storage in Flies and Worms: What Went Wrong?
Body weight and fat storage are strongly influenced by an individual’s genetic makeup. In humans, genetic polymorphisms have been identified that have effects on body mass index (BMI) and fat content (Meyre et al., 2009; Speliotes et al., 2010; Choquet and Meyre, 2011a), and studies of monogenic rodent models of obesity have defined a variety of genes and signaling pathways that control fat storage and metabolism (Barsh and Schwartz, 2002). However, many other genes that regulate these processes undoubtedly remain to be discovered. Although forward genetic screens in the mouse have the potential to identify new obesity genes, such screens are expensive and lengthy endeavors.