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Comment
. 2022 Mar;4(3):308-309.
doi: 10.1038/s42255-022-00546-4.

The dynamic genetic architecture of early childhood BMI

Carolina G Downie  1 , Kari E North  2   3
Affiliations
Comment

The dynamic genetic architecture of early childhood BMI

Carolina G Downie et al. Nat Metab. 2022 Mar.
No abstract available

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of interest: The authors declare no conflicts of interst.

Figures

Fig. 1 |
Fig. 1 |. Genetic architecture of childhood BMI exhibits dynamic changes over early childhood.
Associated with early childhood BMI across the first 8 years of life were 46 distinct loci, representing four clusters: Birth, Transient, Early Rise and Late Rise. The Birth cluster contained 9 loci previously identified for birth weight, with half of these demonstrating effects in the postnatal period and early childhood. The Transient cluster contained 21 independent SNPs at 16 loci with no effect at birth, peak association during infancy or early childhood, and little or no effect after the adiposity rebound. The Early Rise cluster contained 12 loci that gradually show stronger association with BMI from infancy into childhood but only rarely maintain effects into adulthood. The Late Rise cluster contained 4 loci with little to no effect before the adiposity rebound. Bold indicates previously identified monogenic obesity genes involved in the leptin–melanocortin signalling pathway. All but one were restricted to the Transient and Early Rise clusters. The leptin–melanocortin pathway regulates energy intake and expenditure, suggesting that age-dependent genetic variation affecting the leptin–melanocortin system, in addition to numerous environmental factors, plays a central role in controlling BMI during early childhood. aLoci that demonstrate effects in the postnatal period and early childhood. bLoci that maintain effects into adulthood. AgRP, agouti-related protein; Alpha-MSH, alpha melanocyte stimulating hormone; CART, cocaine and amphetamine-regulated transcript; NPY, neuropeptide Y; POMC, propiomelanocortin; PYY, peptide YY.
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