Ghrelin receptor gene: identification of several sequence variants in extremely obese children and adolescents, healthy normal-weight and underweight students, and children with short normal stature.
GH secretagogue receptor (GHSR, ghrelin receptor) is involved in regulation of body weight and GH secretion. We initially analyzed two single-nucleotide polymorphisms of the GHSR in up to 184 extremely obese children and adolescents and up to 184 healthy underweight students. The frequency of the 171T allele of rs495225 was higher in our obese samples (75.0%) than in the underweight individuals (70.2%; nominal P = 0.14). This trend could not be substantiated in an additional association study in 270 obese and 145 underweight and normal weight individuals and in a transmission disequilibrium test based on 387 obesity trios (transmission rate of 171T, 51.8%; nominal P = 0.53). Additionally, the coding region of GHSR was systematically screened, and seven sequence variants were identified in 93 obese, 96 normal weight, and 94 underweight individuals and 43 children with short normal stature (SNS). Five silent single-nucleotide polymorphisms showed similar genotype frequencies in the different weight groups and SNS children (all nominal P > 0.3). Two novel missense variants were detected only in one obese carrier and one SNS child, respectively. In conclusion, we did not obtain conclusive evidence for an involvement of the ghrelin receptor gene in body weight regulation or SNS in our study groups.
Wang
Hai-Jun
HJ
Institute of Child and Adolescent Health, Health Science Center, Peking University, Beijing 100083, China.
Geller
Frank
F
Dempfle
Astrid
A
Schäuble
Nadine
N
Friedel
Susann
S
Lichtner
Peter
P
Fontenla-Horro
Francisco
F
Wudy
Stefan
S
Hagemann
Sandra
S
Gortner
Ludwig
L
Huse
Klaus
K
Remschmidt
Helmut
H
Bettecken
Thomas
T
Meitinger
Thomas
T
Schäfer
Helmut
H
Hebebrand
Johannes
J
Hinney
Anke
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000483:Alleles; D001827:Body Height; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020125:Mutation, Missense; D009765:Obesity / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D018807:Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / Q000235:genetics*; D054440:Receptors, Ghrelin; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization; D013334:Students
D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; D054440:Receptors, Ghrelin