Studying Fam214a, Znrf3, and Rab24 Activity during, and Impact on, Adipocyte Differentiation

Metabolic disorders, like other human diseases, are multifactorial, stemming from a combination of both environmental and genetic determinants. Environmental factors, such as diet and physical activity, are well known to be implicated in metabolic health , but the genetic portion remains largely unknown. The human Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) have uncovered correlations between certain genes and physiological traits displayed in obese individuals. Throughout the duration of the internship, three genes identified as related to obesity and body fat distribution by GWAS were studied. The effect of these genes – Fam214a, Znrf3, and Rab24 - on adipogenesis, the maturation of fat cells, was of particular interest. In order to study this, DNA and viruses were created and used to infect cells that were subsequently analyzed using microscopy and qPCR. The activity of the genes was measured during differentiation of 3T3L1 cells, as well as the effect of their knockdown on differentiation. The results indicate that the genes are expressed more in differentiated 3T3L1 adipocytes than in preadipocytes, and further research will look into the effects of under- and over-expression and help determine the function of the genes in adipogenesis. This study may provide new insights into the genetic basis of metabolic disorders.

Supervisor: Dr. Hyun Cheol Roh
Department: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology