Application of DNA microarrays in the study of human obesity and type 2 diabetes

DNA microarrays have provided medical researchers with a powerful tool to study the mechanisms of complex diseases, including obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D). The technology has been used to dissect virtually every aspect of the genetic and molecular basis of these two diseases. Gene expression profiling is the major application of DNA microarrays so far. Subcutaneous fat, visceral fat, adipocyte and preadipocyte, muscle, liver, pancreas and specific nuclei in the hypothalamus under normal and disease conditions are used in addressing the profile of gene expression in obesity and T2D. Comparisons of fat depots in humans and animal models - including ob/ob and db/db mice, diet-induced obese mice, fa/fa Zucker rats, gene knockout (plin (-/-), GLUT4 (-/-)) and transgenic mice (GLUT4-Tg) - have been employed in microarray experiments. The effects of various interventions, such as hormonal and drug treatments, exercise, and surgery, have been studied to determine the expression profile of different developmental stages in cells and the effect of treatment on the two diseases. In this review, the application of microarrays in elucidating the role of retinol binding protein 4 as a link between obesity and T2D is discussed. The possible role in obesity of a common genetic variant near the INSIG2 gene and the discovery of the BBS9 gene are also discussed. The problems and challenges are summarized under eight categories and suggestions for the future direction of research in this area are proposed.