Researchers from Britain and France have identified three variants of the PCSK1 gene that significantly raise the likelihood of obesity, according to a study published in Nature. The findings build on earlier work showing that a rare PCSK1 mutation alone can trigger extreme weight gain, a condition known as monogenetic obesity.
The team, led by Philippe Froguel of Imperial College London, compared the genetic profiles of 13,000 obese Europeans against a normal control group. All three variants appeared far more frequently among obese participants and were also associated with childhood obesity and moderate weight gain.
PCSK1 encodes an enzyme called proconvertase 1, which activates hormones governing appetite and energy metabolism, including insulin, glucagon, and a molecule that signals to the brain that the body has eaten enough. Roughly a quarter of the study population carries a version of this enzyme that appears somewhat more active than normal.
The research began with 150 volunteer families, each including at least one obese child, before expanding to larger cohorts in France, Denmark, Switzerland, and Germany. Obesity is defined by a body-mass index of 30 or higher, calculated from a person's height and weight.
Froguel described genetics as "one cause among others," alongside diet and sedentary habits. A separate Nature paper published the previous month had identified MC4R, another gene regulating appetite and energy expenditure.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in July 2008, in its own words.