Aldehyde Dehydrogenases Genetic Polymorphism and Obesity: From Genomics to Behavior and Health

Obesity is multifactorial and complex. Remarkable progress has been made recently in search for polygenic obesity through genome-wide association study (GWAS), but biology of polygenic effects on obesity is largely poor. This review summarizes the available evidence and provides an overview of the links between ALDH2 variants and adiposity, which were firstly and mainly derived from studies of polygenic obesity and also indirectly investigated by using cell lines and mice. The genetic association studies have observed consistent associations of ALDH2 variants with obesity-related traits including BMI, waist circumference (WC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), and visceral fat accumulation. In consideration of ALDH2 variants with enzyme activity and alcohol consumption behavior in physiological mechanism studies, we proposed a model by which the physiological and behavioral consequences of alcohol consumption serve as an intermediary process between polymorphisms in ALDH2 and obesity.