Evidence of a quantitative trait locus for energy and macronutrient intakes on chromosome 3q27.3: the Québec Family Study

• Published in: The American journal of clinical nutrition Vol. 88; no. 4; pp. 1142 - 1148
• Main Authors: Choquette, Anne C, Lemieux, Simone, Tremblay, Angelo, Chagnon, Yvon C, Bouchard, Claude, Vohl, Marie-Claude, Pérusse, Louis
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bethesda, MD American Society for Nutrition 01.10.2008; American Society for Clinical Nutrition; American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc
• Subjects: Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Chromosome Mapping; Chromosomes; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 1 - genetics; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 3 - genetics; Cohort Studies; Diet; diet recall; Diet Records; Dietary Carbohydrates - administration & dosage; Dietary Fats - administration & dosage; Dietary Proteins - administration & dosage; energy intake; Energy Intake - genetics; Energy Intake - physiology; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genes; Genetic Linkage; Genome, Human; Genomics; Genotype; Genotype & phenotype; Humans; linkage (genetics); Male; Middle Aged; nutrient intake; nutrition-genotype interaction; obesity; Obesity - etiology; Obesity - genetics; quantitative trait loci; Quantitative Trait, Heritable; Quebec; Quebec Family Study; Regression analysis; Risk Factors; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; Quebec; Canada; North America; America; Human; Energy; Locus; Family study; Macronutrient; Quantitative analysis
• ISSN: 0002-9165; 1938-3207; 1938-3207
• DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/88.4.1142

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the genes influencing dietary energy and nutrient intakes, despite evidence that these intakes are influenced by genetic factors. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to identify, by using a genome-wide linkage analysis, chromosomal regions harboring genes that affect energy and macronutrient intakes. DESIGN: Energy, carbohydrate, lipid, and protein intakes were assessed in 836 subjects from 217 families by using a 3-d dietary record. A total of 443 markers were genotyped and tested for linkage; age- and sex-adjusted energy and macronutrient intakes were expressed in grams and as percentages of total energy intake. Regression-based (Haseman-Elston) and variance-component (MERLIN) methods were applied to test for linkage with dietary data. A maximum of 454 sibpairs from 217 nuclear families were available for analysis. RESULTS: The genome scan provided suggestive evidence (P [less-than or equal to] 0.0023) for the presence of 6 quantitative trait linkages influencing total caloric and macronutrient intakes in the Québec Family Study. Of these, multiple linkages were found on chromosome 3q27.3, in a region harboring the adiponectin gene, at marker D3S1262 for energy [logarithm of odds (LOD): 2.24], carbohydrate (LOD: 2.00), and lipid (LOD: 1.65) intakes. The peak linkages for carbohydrate, lipid, and protein intakes were found on chromosomes 1p32.2 (LOD: 2.39), 1p35.2 (LOD: 2.41), and 10p15.3 (LOD: 2.72), respectively. The linkage results remained significant after adjustment for body mass index, which suggested that the genes underlying these quantitative trait linkages influence dietary intake independent of body size. CONCLUSION: The linkage on chromosome 3q27.3 with energy, lipid, and carbohydrate intakes suggests that this region of the genome may harbor genes that influence energy and macronutrient intakes in humans.