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Polygenetic Causes of Obesity in Mice
Led by Dr. Jane Shearer
The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies obesity as a worldwide
epidemic that threatens to diminish gains in human health made over the
past decade. Obesity results from long-term energy imbalance and
complex gene-environment interactions. It is also a risk factor for
other disease states including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease,
hypertension, and cancer.
This subproject, led by Dr. Shearer at the University of Calgary,
focuses on characterization of obesity. Dr. Shearer's team is helping to create
a 4D virtual model of mouse obesity using the Mouse Atlas as a
foundation.
The mouse has emerged as an indispensable tool for the study of
human health and disease due to its genomic synteny to humans. As mouse
obesity studies ensues the new 4D system is used to simultaneously visualize
changes in four essential parameters:
- Body composition.
- Substrate flux.
- Metabolite levels.
- Genomic expression.
Together, these components allow the disease process to be monitored
as it occurs and relationships between disparate data aspects to be
identified. This type of analysis is crucial to understanding the
complex relationships between genes in polygenetic disease states such
as obesity. Valuable expertise is expected to be gained by enabling
the 4D system to support its study. Overall, this subproject will be
the most comprehensive interdisciplinary examination of mouse obesity
performed to date.
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Polygenetic Causes of Obesity in Mice