Ancestry-informative regulatory variants at KCNB1 modulate adipogenesis and body mass index

Obesity and related metabolic disorders represent a major global health burden, yet their genetic determinants remain incompletely characterized, particularly in non-European populations. We aimed to identify body mass index (BMI)-associated loci in an admixed Brazilian population and to functionally characterize ancestry-enriched variants contributing to obesity risk.

We conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of BMI in 1,079 admixed Brazilian individuals. Significant and suggestive loci were evaluated using integrative analysis, including epigenomic annotation and chromatin conformation data. Regulatory activity was assessed using allele-specific luciferase reporter assays and electrophoretic mobility shift assays. The functional role of the prioritized gene was examined using pharmacological inhibition in human preadipocytes and genetic deletion in mice.

We identified three BMI-associated loci reaching genome-wide significance (p ≤ 5 × 10^-8) and 49 additional loci previously implicated in obesity-related traits at suggestive significance. Integrative analyses prioritized a non-coding variant at chromosome 20 (rs149309426), located within an active enhancer that physically interacts with the KCNB1 promoter during preadipocyte differentiation. The BMI risk allele (C) increased enhancer activity in luciferase assays and showed enhanced transcription factor binding. Pharmacological inhibition of KCNB1 impaired adipocyte differentiation and lipid accumulation in human preadipocytes. Consistently, Kcnb1 knockout mice exhibited reduced fat mass and increased lean mass. The rs149309426 risk allele was rare in European populations but enriched in individuals with African ancestry.

Our findings identify KCNB1 as a regulator of adipogenesis and body composition and highlight the importance of studying admixed populations to uncover ancestry-specific genetic mechanisms underlying obesity.