Journal Article

Association of maternal weight with FADS and ELOVL genetic variants and fatty acid levels- The PREOBE follow-up

López Sabater, María del Carmen, Castellote Bargalló, Ana Isabel, Montes Goyanes, Rosa, Campoy, Cristina, Garza Puentes, Andrea de la, de Almeida, Leonor, Segura Moreno, Maite, Guerendiain Margni, Marcela Esther, García-Valdés, Luz, Arias García, Miriam, Bonilla Aguirre, María, Chisaguano Tonato, Aida Maribel, Torres Espinola, Francisco José, PREOBE Team

2017

Overview

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the genes encoding the fatty acid desaturase (FADS) and elongase (ELOVL) enzymes affect long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LC-PUFA) production. We aimed to determine if these SNPs are associated with body mass index (BMI) or affect fatty acids (FAs) in pregnant women. Participants (n = 180) from the PREOBE cohort were grouped according to pre-pregnancy BMI: normal-weight (BMI = 18.5-24.9, n = 88) and overweight/obese (BMI≥25, n = 92). Plasma samples were analyzed at 24 weeks of gestation to measure FA levels in the phospholipid fraction. Selected SNPs were genotyped (7 in FADS1, 5 in FADS2, 3 in ELOVL2 and 2 in ELOVL5). Minor allele carriers of rs174545, rs174546, rs174548 and rs174553 (FADS1), and rs1535 and rs174583 (FADS2) were nominally associated with an increased risk of having a BMI≥25. Only for the normal-weight group, minor allele carriers of rs174537, rs174545, rs174546, and rs174553 (FADS1) were negatively associated with AA:DGLA index. Normal-weight women who were minor allele carriers of FADS SNPs had lower levels of AA, AA:DGLA and AA:LA indexes, and higher levels of DGLA, compared to major homozygotes. Among minor allele carriers of FADS2 and ELOVL2 SNPs, overweight/obese women showed higher DHA:EPA index than the normal-weight group; however, they did not present higher DHA concentrations than the normal-weight women. In conclusion, minor allele carriers of FADS SNPs have an increased risk of obesity. Maternal weight changes the effect of genotype on FA levels. Only in the normal-weight group, minor allele carriers of FADS SNPs displayed reduced enzymatic activity and FA levels. This suggests that women with a BMI≥25 are less affected by FADS genetic variants in this regard. In the presence of FADS2 and ELOVL2 SNPs, overweight/obese women showed higher n-3 LC-PUFA production indexes than women with normal weight, but this was not enough to obtain a higher n-3 LC-PUFA concentration.

• Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS),Public Library of Science
• Subject: Acetyltransferases - genetics / Acids / Alleles / Analysis / Biology and Life Sciences / Body mass / Body Mass Index / Body Weight / Carrier density / Coding / Desaturase / Diabetes, Gestational / Enzymatic activity / Enzymes / Fatty Acid Desaturases - genetics / Fatty acids / Fatty Acids - blood / Fatty Acids, Unsaturated - blood / Female / Follow-Up Studies / Genes / Genetic Association Studies / Genetic variance / Genetic Variation / Genotype / Gestation / Health aspects / Homozygotes / Humans / Medicine and Health Sciences / Mothers / Obesity / Overweight / Phospholipids / Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Polyunsaturated fatty acids / Pregnancy / Pregnant women / Risk / Single nucleotide polymorphisms / Single-nucleotide polymorphism / Spain / Transcription / Weight reduction / Womens health