title: FTO gene variant modulates the neural correlates of visual food perception.
abstract: Variations in the fat mass and obesity associated (FTO) gene are currently the strongest known genetic factor predisposing humans to non-monogenic obesity. Recent experiments have linked these variants to a broad spectrum of behavioural alterations, including food choice and substance abuse. Yet, the underlying neurobiological mechanisms by which these genetic variations influence body weight remain elusive. Here, we explore the brain structural substrate of the obesity-predisposing rs9939609 T/A variant of the FTO gene in non-obese subjects by means of multivariate classification and use fMRI to investigate genotype-specific differences in neural food-cue reactivity by analysing correlates of a visual food perception task. Our findings demonstrate that MRI-derived measures of morphology along middle and posterior fusiform gyrus (FFG) are highly predictive for FTO at-risk allele carriers, who also show enhanced neural responses elicited by food cues in the same posterior FFG area. In brief, these findings provide first-time evidence for FTO-specific differences in both brain structure and function already in non-obese individuals, thereby contributing to a mechanistic understanding of why FTO is a predisposing factor for obesity.
authors.affiliation: Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, 50931 Cologne, Germany; Center for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Preventive Medicine (CEDP), University Hospital of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany. Electronic address: anne.kuehn@sf.mpg.de.
authors.forename: Anne B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Kühn
authors.affiliation: Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, 50931 Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Delia-Lisa
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Feis
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital of Cologne, 50931, Cologne, Germany; Max-Planck-Institute of Psychiatry, 80804 Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Leonhard
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Schilbach
authors.affiliation: Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, 50931 Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Lutz
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kracht
authors.affiliation: Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, 50931 Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Martin E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Hess
authors.affiliation: Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, 50931 Cologne, Germany; Department of Pharmacology, Weill Medical College, Cornell University, NY 10065, USA.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mauer
authors.affiliation: Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, 50931 Cologne, Germany; Center for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Preventive Medicine (CEDP), University Hospital of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany; Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), 50931 Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Jens C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Brüning
authors.affiliation: Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, 50931 Cologne, Germany. Electronic address: marc.tittgemeyer@sf.mpg.de.
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tittgemeyer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000071516:Alpha-Ketoglutarate-Dependent Dioxygenase FTO / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005502:Food; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000235:genetics; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D060388:Support Vector Machine; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000502:physiology*; D014796:Visual Perception
chemical_list: D000071516:Alpha-Ketoglutarate-Dependent Dioxygenase FTO; C526492:FTO protein, human
keywords: FTO gene; Morphological classification; Obesity; Visual food perception