fabp4 is central to eight obesity associated genes: a functional gene network-based polymorphic study

Area of Science:

• Molecular Biology
• Genomics
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Fatty acid-binding protein 4 (fabp4) is highly expressed in adipose tissue and abundant in adipocytes.
• Understanding gene and protein interactions is crucial for deciphering biological complexity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the functional modules and interacting partners of the fabp4 gene.
• To identify candidate genes functionally linked to fabp4.
• To predict disease-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms (nsSNPs) in fabp4.

Main Methods:

• Gene network analysis to identify functional modules and interacting genes.
• Gene ontology analysis to understand functional aspects and tissue compartmentalization.
• nsSNP prediction for fabp4 to identify disease-related variations.

Main Results:

• Eight candidate genes (acp1, ext2, insr, lipe, ostf1, sncg, usp15, vim) were found to be strongly linked with fabp4.
• Gene ontology analysis revealed fabp4 network's involvement in lipid metabolism, multicellular processes, and protein/enzyme binding.
• Four disease-associated nsSNPs in fabp4 were identified: rs1051231 (T104P), rs3204631 (T126P), rs140925685 (G27D), and rs141169989 (G90V).

Conclusions:

• The gene network analysis provides a comprehensive understanding of fabp4 interactions and functions.
• The identified interacting genes and pathways are crucial for lipid metabolism and tissue functions.
• The prediction of disease-associated nsSNPs in fabp4 highlights potential genetic risk factors.