Scientists identify gene responsible for obesity in Indians

Scientists claim to have for the first time identified a gene that is linked to obesity in Indians.

A team at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad has isolated one single nucleotide polymorphism marker (which is within a gene) of THSD7A that is linked to obesity, local media reported Sunday.

Nearly one million single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers distributed throughout the genome were analysed among a total of 2014 non-smokers, aged between 20 and 30 years old.

"We found one SNP marker (which is within a gene) of THSD7A was significantly associated with obesity. This gene has not been associated with obesity in the Indian population," Kumarasamy Thangaraj, who led the research team, was quoted by The Hindu newspaper as saying.

To reconfirm its role, a replication study involving 655 people belonging to different categories -- underweight, normal, overweight and obese -- was undertaken, the newspaper said.

"We found highly significant association between the marker and obesity in the replication study.

The gene is present in everyone. But when there is a mutation to the gene, there is a likelihood that the person carrying the mutated gene will end up being obese," he said.

The findings have been published in the International Journal of Obesity.