Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 24, 2026

Sample Preparation to Bioinformatics Analysis of DNA Methylation: Association Strategy for Obesity and Related Trait Studies
Published on: May 6, 2022
Association study between candidate genes and obesity-related phenotypes using a sample of lumberjacks
Annie Chamberland1, Nancy Tremblay, Marc Audet
1Department of Fundamental Sciences, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, Qué., Canada.
Introduction:
Complex traits such as obesity are modulated by genetic and environmental factors and lead to varied clinical presentations.The aim of this study was to investigate associations between candidate genes and obesity-related phenotypes using a sample of 252 lumberjacks issued from a founder population and sharing a common and circumscribed environment.
Methods:
Thirty-seven variants in 18 genes were genotyped. The restriction fragment length polymorphism method and the template-directed dye-terminator incorporation assay with fluorescence polarization detection were employed for the genotyping assays. Multivariate logistic regression models were built in order to calculate the relative odds of exhibiting obesity-related phenotypes associated with the presence of the studied polymorphism. Among them, 21 single nucleotide polymorphisms were tested for associations with obesity phenotypes.
Results:
Significant associations were found between carriers of the minor alleles of APOE-epsilon2, FABP2-A54T, UCP1-L229M, LPL-HindIII, LPL-S447X and LPL-T1973C, patients bearing a combination of LPL-D9N, LPL-N291S and LPL-P207L and obesity-related phenotypes.
Conclusion:
The present results suggest that a particular population such as lumberjacks, sharing the same environment, could help target genes involved in complex traits.
Related Concept Videos
Genome-wide Association Studies-GWAS
GWAS does not require the identification of the target gene involved in...
Polygenic Traits
Polygenic Traits
Behavioral Genetics and Its Designs
The primary methodologies used in behavior genetics include family studies, twin studies, and adoption studies, each providing unique...
Obesity
Lethal Alleles
Lucien Cuénot discovered lethal alleles in 1905 while studying the inheritance of coat color in mice. The agouti gene is responsible for the color of the coat in mice. This gene codes for an agouti-signaling protein, which is responsible for melanin distribution in mammals. The wild-type allele gives rise to gray-brown coat color in mice, while the mutant allele gives rise to yellow coat color. In addition to coat color, the agouti gene is associated with the yellow...
